


Transit Twilight

by K_J_Groening



Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-07
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2019-11-13 11:16:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 93,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18030689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/K_J_Groening/pseuds/K_J_Groening
Summary: This retelling of Twilight replaces Bella Swan with Jack LeFlech, a young trans-man. It is very similar to the original story until my version of chapter 7. It diverges and introduces a love triangle with the character who replaces Eric from the original source.





	1. My Name is Jack

My mother drove me to the airport with the windows rolled down. It was seventy-five degrees in Phoenix, the sky a cloudless blue. The bandages I was wearing from the surgery itched under a loose-fitting shirt. My carry-on item was a parka.

In the Olympic Peninsula of the northwest Washington State, a small town named Forks lives under a near-constant cover of clouds. It rains there more often than in any other state in America. It was from this dark, gloomy town that my mother escaped with me when I was a few months old. It was in this town I'd been compelled to spend a month every summer until I was thirteen. That was the year I flipped my family's life upside down. These past four years have been spent with me making the slow transition from female to male. My dad, Charlie, would infrequently visit during the summers. He was very accepting of my situation though, I'm not sure if he fully understood it.

It was much more difficult for my mother. While she helped me through the process and consented to my recent top surgery, it was hard on her. I don't think she was ready to lose her daughter. This was one of the reasons that I decided to move to Forks.

I loved Phoenix. I loved the sun and the blistering heat. But, I needed a new start. Too many people knew me from before.

"Bell- I mean Jack," my mom said to me – the last of a thousand times – before I got on the plane. "You don't have to do this."

I knew she meant well but, I could also hear it in her voice that she needed a break from all… this. I felt bad for leaving her to fend for herself; she was so erratic and hare-brained. Of course, she had Phil now, so the bills would probably get paid, there would be food in the fridge, gas in her car and someone to call when she got lost.

"I want to go," I said. I could feel her relief. I can't say I wasn't a little hurt by that but, I knew this journey had been hard on her. She needed me to go too. Maybe not forever, but just for now.

"Tell Charlie I said hi."

"I will."

"I'll see you soon." She started, "You can co… I'll come back as soon as you need me."

I could tell she meant it; that no matter how much I put her through, she'd really always come back for me. I smiled.

"I love you, Mom." I said, "I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

She hugged me tightly (forcing an awkward squawk out of me), and then I got on the plane, and she was gone.

It's a four-hour flight from Phoenix to Seattle, another hour in a small plane to Port Angeles, and then an hour drive back down to Forks. Flying doesn't bother me; the hour in the car with Charlie, though, I was a little worried about.

Charlie had been really nice about me moving in with him. He seemed genuinely pleased that I was coming over with a degree of permanence. He'd already gotten me registered for high school and was going to help me get a car.

But it was awkward with Charlie. Neither of us was what anyone would call verbose. On top of that, I had changed significantly since the last time he saw me. I had waited until just before my surgery to crop my hair short, so this was the first time he saw me closely passing as male.

When I landed in Port Angeles, it was raining. Charlie was waiting for me with the cruiser. I had been expecting both these things. Charlie is the Police Chief LeFleche to the people of Forks. My primary motivation behind buying a car, despite the scarcity of my funds, was that I refuse to be driven around town in a car with the red and blue lights on. I didn't want to look like a criminal.

Charlie didn't recognize me at first. He stood there, looking around until I was right in front of him. He startled and then gave me an awkward, one-armed hug.

"Good to see you, Bells," he said, smiling. I grimaced.

"Hey Charlie," I said, "I go by Jack now." I wasn't allowed to call him Charlie to his face but, I wanted to establish that he wasn't allowed to call me by the wrong name either.

"Right, right." He said, his cheeks reddening. "Sorry."

"It's ok, Dad," I replied.

I only had a few bags, so it all fit easily into the trunk of the cruiser.

"I found a good car for you, really cheap," he announced when we were strapped in.

"What kind of car?" I asked.

"It's a truck, a Chevy."

"What?" I said, "That's awesome!" – Then it hit me. 'Really cheap' – "Wait, how much was it?"

"Do you remember Billy Black down at La Push?" La Push is the tiny Native American reserve on the coast. Why was Charlie bringing that up?

"No."

"He used to go fishing with us in the summer," Charlie prompted. It must have been too far back, I still couldn't remember him.

"He's in a wheelchair now," Charlie continued when I didn't respond, "So he can't drive it anymore, and he offered to sell me his truck, cheap."

"That was nice of him." I said, "What year is it?"

"Well, Billy's done a lot of work on the engine – it's really only a few years old, really."

Well, that was not reassuring.

"Does it work?" I figured I knew enough about cars to fix it if anything went wrong but, if anything went too crazy, I didn't think I could afford a mechanic.

"Really, Bella, the thing runs great. They don't build them like that anymore."

"Charlie," I said, not masking the annoyance in my voice.

"Sorry. I mean Jack."

We sat in uncomfortable silence for a bit until I decided to pick the conversation back up.

"So, are we going to pick the truck up?" I asked.

"Well, I kind of already bought it for you as a homecoming gift."

Wow. Already I was burdening him.

"Dad, you didn't need to do that. I was going to buy it myself."

"I don't mind. I want you to be happy here." He was looking ahead at the road when he said this. Charlie wasn't comfortable expressing his emotions out loud. I guess we had that in common. So, I was looking straight ahead when I responded.

"That's really nice. Thank you, Dad. I really appreciate it."

"Well, you're welcome," he mumbled, embarrassed by my thanks. This, for some reason, suddenly made me embarrassed. We spent the rest of the ride staring out the windows in silence.

Eventually, we made it to Charlie's. He still lived in the small, two-bedroom house that he'd bought with my mother in the early days of their marriage. Those were the only days of their marriage – the early ones. There, parked on the street in front of the house that was never changed, was my new (well, new to me) truck. It was a faded red color, with big, round fenders and a bulbous cab. I loved it. It screamed me. I could see myself in it.

"Wow, Dad, I love it! Thanks!" I was actually a little excited to show it off at school tomorrow. Maybe, it wouldn't be as bad as I was fearing it would be.

"I'm glad you like it," Charlie said gruffly, embarrassed again.

It took only one trip to get all my stuff upstairs. I got the west bedroom that faced out over the front yard. The room was familiar; it had belonged to me since I was born. The wooden floors, the light blue walls, the peaked ceiling, the horrible lace curtains around the window that would definitely need to be burned – these were all a part of my childhood. The only changes the Charlie had ever made were switching the crib for a bed and adding a desk as I grew. The desk now held a second-hand computer, with the phone line for the modem stapled along the floor to the nearest phone jack. This was a stipulation from my mother so that we could stay in touch easily. I guess cell coverage wavered a lot. The rocking chair from my baby days was still in the corner.

There was only one small bathroom at the top of the stairs, which I would have to share with Charlie. That might get awkward.

Charlie didn't hover; he left me alone to unpack and get settled. I smiled when I realized that this would have been impossible for my mother. It was nice to be alone with my thoughts and not have to explain them. Right now, I was thinking about school.

Forks High School had a frightening total of only three hundred and fifty-seven – now three hundred and fifty-eight – students. All of the kids had grown up together – their grandparents had been toddlers together.

I would be the new guy from the big city, a curiosity, a freak.

After I finished putting all my clothes in the old pine dresser, I went to the bathroom to clean myself up and change my bandages. I looked at my chest in the mirror as I took off the bandages. It had been over six weeks since the surgery, so the bandages had been reduced to small squares of gauze taped over my nips. The scarring and swelling had gone down quite a bit, and I was glad to have upper body strength again.

Facing myself in the mirror, I wondered if I should tell anyone about me. If that would be appropriate or just make interacting with me awkward. I wondered if I looked… man enough? I had always looked boyish; my fashion choices helped with that when I was younger. Now I looked in the mirror, and I saw a young man looking back at me, and that made me happy. But, would the other students see me? The real me?

I'd always been a little shy. And through my transition, I'd lost a lot of friends. Some of them because they didn't like what I was doing and some of them because their parents didn't like what I was doing. But I had a lot of support. I didn't lose all my friends. Although the title "friends" is kind of generous. All the people at school were more acquaintances than friends. I suppose that's why it was so easy for us to part.

But none of that mattered now. Tomorrow would just be the beginning.


	2. First Day

I didn't sleep well that night. The constant whooshing of the rain and wind across the roof wouldn't fade into the background. I pulled the faded old quilt over my head and later added the pillow, too. But I couldn't fall asleep until after midnight when the rain finally settled into a quieter drizzle.

Thick fog was all I could see out my window in the morning, and I could feel the claustrophobia creeping up on me. You never see the sky here; it was like a cage.

I take testosterone shots every week and today was my T-day. So, I went to the bathroom and injected into my inner thigh. I put the needle in the biohazard box which I kept in my Medic Bag.

Breakfast with Charlie was a quiet event. He wished me good luck at school. I thanked him, I knew I needed it. Charlie left first, off to the police station that was his real wife and family. After he went, I sat at the old square oak table in one of the three miss matched chairs and examined his small kitchen. Nothing was changed. My mother had painted the cabinets eighteen years ago in an attempt to bring some sunshine into the house. Over the fireplace in the adjoining handkerchief-sized family room was a row of pictures. First a wedding picture of Charlie and my mom in Las Vegas, then one of the three of us in the hospital after I was born, taken by a helpful nurse, followed by the procession of my school pictures up to last year's. Those were dysphoric to look at – I would have to see what I could do to get Charlie to put them somewhere else. At least while I was living here.

It was impossible, being in this house, not to realize that Charlie had never gotten over my mom. It saddened my heart a little.

I didn't want to be too early for school, but I couldn't stay in the house anymore. I donned my jacket – rubbed my sore leg – and headed out into the rain.

It was just drizzling still, not enough to soak me through immediately as I reached for the house key that was always hidden under the eaves and locked up. The sloshing of my new waterproof boots was unnerving. I missed the normal crunch of gravel as I walked. I paused and admired my truck again, not caring about the misty rain that swirled around my head.

Inside the truck, it was nice and dry. Either Billy or Charlie had obviously cleaned it up, but the tan upholstered seats still smelled faintly of tobacco, gasoline, and peppermint. The engine started quickly, but loudly, roaring to life and then idling at top volume. For a truck this old, it ran pretty well. The antique radio worked too, that was a plus!

Finding the school wasn't challenging, though I'd never been there before. The school was, like most other things, just off the highway. It was not obvious that it was a school; only the sign, which declared it to be the Forks High School, made me stop. It looked like a collection of matching houses, built with maroon-colored bricks. There were so many trees and shrubs that I couldn't see its size at first. Where was the feel of the institution? I wondered nostalgically. Where were the chain-link fences, the metal detectors?

I parked in front of the first building, which had a small sign over the door reading FRONT OFFICE. No one else was parked there, so I was sure it was off limits, but I decided I would get directions inside, instead of circling around in the rain like an idiot. I stepped out of the toasty truck cab and shivered in the sudden cold. I walked down the stone path lined with hedges and opened the door.

Inside, it was brightly lit and warmer than I'd expected. The office was small; a little waiting area with padded folding chairs, orange-flecked commercial carpet, notices, and awards cluttering the walls, a big clock ticking loudly. Plants grew everywhere in large plastic pots as if there wasn't enough greenery outside. The room was cut in half by a long counter, cluttered with wire baskets full of papers and brightly colored flyers taped to its front. There were three desks behind the counter, one of which was operated by a large, red-haired woman wearing glasses.

The red-haired woman looked up. "Can I help you?"

"I'm Jack LeFleche," I informed her. She looked up at me, confused. I expected to be a topic of gossip; the son of the Chief's flighty ex-wife, come home at last.

"You mean like Charlie LeFleche?" She asked. Now it was my turn to be confused.

"Yes," I said, "I'm his son."

"Oh. Ok." She said. She dug through a precariously stacked pile of documents on her desk till she found the ones she was looking for. "I have your schedule right here, and a map of the school." She brought several sheets to the counter to show me. She still looked a little, and I got a sickening feeling in my stomach. I tentatively took the sheets, and my spirits fell.

Isabella LeFleche. Charlie had registered me under the wrong name. I could feel a lump forming in my throat but, I was determined not to break down in public. I thought about going home and skipping school today and never coming back. I stood frozen in my hurt and pain.

"Are you ok?" She asked. I looked up. I realized that I needed to do damage control.

"This is the wrong name," I said, "My name is Jack. Is there any way you can change my name in your files?

"Yes," the woman said, "I'm so sorry about this."

She went through my classes for me, highlighting the best route to each on the map, and gave me the slip to have each teacher sign, which I was to bring back at the end of the day. She smiled at me and hoped, like Charlie, that I would like it here in Forks. I smiled back as convincingly as I could. I would have to tell the teachers my name before they did roll call. I did NOT want any of the students associating my old name with me.

When I went back to my truck, other students were starting to arrive. I drove around the school, following the line of traffic. All the while I sat in bewilderment that my own dad had forgotten my name; that was the first thing I changed! I know he didn't visit often but still! Oh God, what did he call me behind my back?

I looked at the map in the truck, trying to memorize it now; hopefully, I wouldn't have to walk around with it stuck in front of my nose all day. I stuffed everything in my bag, slung the strap over my shoulder, and sucked in a huge breath. I can do this, I said to myself. What if I can't? I exhaled and stepped out of the truck.

I kept my face pulled back into my hood as I walked to the sidewalk, crowded with teenagers. I looked around and realized that I didn't really stand out.

Once I got around the cafeteria, building three was easy to spot. A large black "3" was painted in a white square on the east corner. I felt my breathing rate increase as I approached the door. I tried holding my breath as I followed two students through the door.

The classroom was small. The people in front of me stopped just inside the door to hang up their coats on a long row of hooks. I copied them and rushed up to the teacher, a tall, balding man whose desk had a nameplate identifying him as Mr. Mason. He got all flustered when I told him to change my name which made me feel embarrassed. But at least he sent me to an empty desk at the back without introducing me to the class. It was harder for my new classmates to stare at me in the back, but, somehow, they managed. I kept my eyes down on the reading list the teacher had given me. It was fairly basic: Brontë, Shakespeare, Chaucer, Faulkner. I'd already read everything. That was comforting. I couldn't help but feel a little excited to experience this anew with first-time readers.

When the bell rang, a girl with pretty eyes and jet-black hair leaned across the aisle to talk to me.

"Are you the Chief's kid?" She looked excited to meet me.

"Jack," I said. Everyone within a three-seat radius turned to look at me.

"Where's your next class?" she asked.

I had to check in my bag, "Um, Government, with Jefferson, in building six."

Everyone was staring at me with curious eyes.

"I'm heading toward building four, I could show you the way…" That was nice of her. "I'm Alexandria," she added, "Alia for short."

I smiled, "Thanks."

We got our jackets and headed out into the rain, which seemed to have picked up. I could have sworn several people behind us were walking close enough to eavesdrop. I hoped I wasn't getting paranoid.

"So, you're from Phoenix, yeah?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Probably doesn't rain as much there."

"Three or four times a year."

"Haha!" She giggled, "What's that like?"

"Sunny," I told her.

"Nice!" She said, "You'll get used to the rain."

We walked back around the cafeteria, to the south buildings by the gym. Alia walked me right to the door, though it was clearly marked.

"Well, good luck," she said as I touched the handle. "Maybe we'll have some other classes together." She sounded hopeful.

I smiled at her vaguely and went inside.

The rest of the morning passed in about the same fashion. My Trigonometry teacher, Mr. Varner, was the only one who made me stand in front of the class and introduce myself. It wasn't too bad, and it forced a lot of kids to recognize me as Jack.

After two classes, I started to recognize several of the faces in each class. There was always someone braver than the others who would introduce themselves and ask me questions about how I was liking Forks. At least I never needed the map.

One girl (… boy?) sat next to me in both Trig and Spanish, and they walked with me to the cafeteria for lunch. They were a couple of inches shorter than my five feet six inches. I couldn't remember their name, so I smiled and nodded as they talked about teachers and classes. I didn't try to keep up.

We sat at the end of a full table with a few of their friends, who they introduced to me. I forgot all their names as soon as they're names were spoken. They seemed impressed by my new friend's bravery in talking to me. The girl from English, Alia, waved at me from across the room.

It was there, sitting in the lunchroom, trying to make conversation with seven curious strangers, that I first saw them.

They were sitting in the corner of the cafeteria, as far away from where I sat as possible in the long room. There were five of them. They weren't talking, and they weren't eating, though they each had a tray of untouched food in front of them. They weren't gawking at me, unlike most of the other students, so it was safe to stare at them without fear of meeting an excessively interested pair of eyes.

They didn't look anything alike. Of the three boys, one was big-muscled like a serious weight lifter, with dark, curly hair. Another was taller, leaner, but still muscular, and honey blond. The last was lanky, less bulky, with untidy, bronze-colored hair. He was more boyish than the others, who looked like they could be in college, or even teachers here rather than students.

The girls were opposites. The tall one was statuesque. She had a beautiful figure, the kind you saw on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, the kind that made every boy around her cross their legs and suddenly need to look in their schoolbags. Her hair was golden, gently waving to the middle of her back. The short girl was pixie-like, thin in the extreme, with small features. Her hair was a deep black, cropped short and pointing in every direction.

And yet, they were all exactly alike. Every one of them was chalky pale, the palest of all the students living in this sunless town. They all had very dark eyes despite the range in hair tones. They also had dark shadows under those eyes — purplish, bruise-like shadows. As if they were all suffering from a sleepless night, or almost done recovering from a broken nose. Though their noses, all their features, were straight, perfect, angular.

They were all looking away — away from each other, apart from the other students, away from anything in particular as far as I could tell. As I watched, the small girl rose with her tray — unopened soda, unbitten apple — and walked away with a quick, graceful lope that belonged on a runway. I watched, entranced at her lithe dancer's step, till she dumped her tray and glided through the back door, faster than I would have thought possible. My eyes darted back to the others, who sat unchangingly.

"Who are they?" I asked the boy (… girl?) from my Spanish class, whose name I'd forgotten.

As they looked up to see who I meant, suddenly he looked at them, the thinner one, the boyish one, the youngest, perhaps. He looked at my neighbor for just a fraction of a second, and then his dark eyes flickered to mine. He looked away quickly, more quickly than I could, though in a flush of embarrassment I dropped my eyes at once. In that brief flash of a glance, his face held nothing of interest — it was as if his name had been called, and he'd looked up in involuntary response, already having decided not to answer.

My neighbor rolled their eyes, looking at the table like I did.

"That's Edward and Emmett Cullen, and Rosalie and Jasper Hale. The one who left was Alice Cullen; they all live together with Dr. Cullen and his wife." They said this under their breath. I glanced sideways at the attractive boy, who was looking at his tray now, picking a bagel to pieces with long, pale fingers. His mouth was moving very quickly, his lips barely opening. The other three still looked away, and yet I felt he was speaking quietly to them.

Strange, unpopular names, I thought. The kinds of names grandparents had. But maybe, that was in vogue here — small town names? I finally remembered that my neighbor was called Teddy, a nickname for Edward. There were two boys named Teddy in my History class back home.

"They seem... interesting." I murmured.

"Yeah." Teddy agreed. "They're all together though — Emmett and Rosalie, and Jasper and Alice, I mean. And they live together." His voice held a certain tone to it. Like he was annoyed with them.

"Which ones are the Cullens?" I asked. "They don't look related..."

"Oh, they're not. Dr. Cullen is really young, in his twenties or early thirties. They're all adopted. The Hales are brother and sister, twins — the blondes — and they're foster children."

"They look a little old for foster children."

"They are now, Jasper and Rosalie are both eighteen, but they've been with Mrs. Cullen since they were eight. She's their aunt or something like that."

"That's really kind of nice — for them to take care of all those kids like that when they're so young and everything."

"Yeah, they are," Teddy admitted, and I got the impression that he didn't like this family in particular for some reason. "I think that Mrs. Cullen can't have any kids, though," he added.

My eyes flickered again to the table where the strange family sat. They continued to look at the walls and not eat.

"Have they always lived in Forks?" I asked. Surely, I would have noticed them on one of my summers here.

"Nah," he said in a voice that implied it should be obvious, even to a new arrival like me. "They just moved down two years ago from somewhere in Alaska."

I felt a surge of pity, and relief. Pity because, as attractive as they were, they were outsiders, clearly not accepted. Relief that I wasn't the only newcomer here, and hopefully not the most interesting.

As I stared at the table, the youngest, one of the Cullens, looked up and met my gaze, this time with evident curiosity in his expression. I'd been caught! His glance held some unmet expectation. I tried to act casually and waved at him. He continued to stare at me, not gawking like the other students had today – he had a slightly frustrated expression. I stopped waving and looked at Teddy.

"Who's that one?" I whispered. Teddy looked up.

"That's Edward. Careful, man. I heard he's gay." I looked at him with a scrunched-up expression. What was that supposed to mean?

"Unless you're gay too." Teddy added, unfazed, "Then go nuts."

"Ok," I couldn't help chuckling, "For the record: I'm not gay."

"That's cool," Teddy said, smiling too. "I just didn't know. 'Cuz, I just met you and stuff."

After a few more minutes, the four of them left the table together. They all were noticeably graceful — even the big, brawny one. It was unsettling to watch.

I sat at the table with Teddy and his friends longer than I would have if I'd been sitting alone. I was anxious not to be late for class on my first day. One of my new acquaintances, who considerately reminded me that her name was Miranda, had "Biology II" with me the next hour. We walked to class together in silence. She was shy, too.

When we entered the classroom, Miranda went to sit at a black-topped lab table exactly like the ones I was used to. She already had a neighbor. In fact, all the tables were filled but one. Next, to the center aisle, I recognized Edward Cullen by his unusual hair, sitting next to that single open seat.

As I walked down the aisle to introduce myself to the teacher, fix my name and get my slip signed, he stayed in my peripheral. Just as I passed, he suddenly went rigid in his seat. He stared at me again, meeting my eyes with the strangest expression on his face — it was hostile, furious. I looked away quickly, shocked, going red again. Did he know about me? If somehow? Was I going to have to deal with transphobic behavior here too? This is why I didn't want anyone to know my other name.

I'd noticed that his eyes were black — coal black.

Mr. Banner signed my slip and handed me a book without asking me to introduce myself. Of course, he had no choice but to send me to the one open seat in the middle of the room. I kept my eyes down as I went to sit by him, unsettled by the hostile stare he'd given me.

I didn't look up as I set my book on the table and took my seat, but I saw his posture change from the corner of my eye. He was leaning away from me, sitting on the extreme edge of his chair and averting his face like he smelled something bad. It had been a while since my bandages oozed a horrible odor, surely it couldn't be that. Inconspicuously, I sniffed in my general chest direction. It didn't smell at all. I crossed my arms, leaned away from him, and tried to pay attention to the teacher.

Unfortunately, the lecture was on cellular anatomy, something I'd already studied. I took notes carefully anyway, always looking down.

I couldn't stop myself from peeking up at the strange boy next to me. During the whole class, he never relaxed his stiff position on the edge of his chair, sitting as far from me as possible. I could see his hand on his left leg was clenched into a fist, tendons standing out under his pale skin. This, too, he never relaxed. He had the long sleeves of his white shirt pushed up to his elbows, and his forearm was surprisingly hard and muscular beneath his light skin. He wasn't as slight as he'd looked next to his burly brother.

The class seemed to drag on longer than the others. Was it because the day was finally coming to a close, or because I was waiting for his tight fist to loosen? It never did; he continued to sit so still, it looked like he wasn't breathing. What was wrong with him? Was this his normal behavior? I began to think that Teddy's annoyance towards this family was earned.

It couldn't have anything to do with me, could it? He didn't know about me, did he?

I glanced at him one more time and regretted it. He was glaring at me again, his black eyes full of revulsion. I flinched. The phrase if looks could kill suddenly ran through my mind.

At that moment, the bell rang loudly, making me jump, and Edward Cullen was out of his seat. Fluidly he rose, his back to me, and he was out the door before anyone else was out of their seat.

I sat arms crossed in my seat, staring angrily after him. If he knew about me, he'd better not tell anyone about it. It was my choice when to reveal that. I began gathering up my things slowly, trying to block the anger that filled me.

"Aren't you Isabella Swan?" a female voice asked.

I looked up to see a baby-faced girl, her pale blond hair carefully curled around her face, smiling at me in a friendly way.

"Seriously, dude?," I snarled at her. Did Charlie introduce me to everyone with the wrong name? How many people knew it? This horrified me.

"Oh, yeah. S-sorry." She stuttered, "I'm Kate."

"That's nice," I said, not looking at her. She stood there for a moment.

"Do you need any help finding your next class?"

"I'm headed to the gym, actually. I think I can find it."

"That's my next class, too." She seemed hopeful.

"That's cool, buddy," I said. I decided to let her come with me since it wasn't her fault that my dad was a moron.

We walked to class together; she was a chatterer — she supplied most of the conversation, which made it easy for me. She'd lived in California till she was ten, so she knew how I felt about the sun. It turned out she was in my English class also.

But as we were entering the gym, she asked, "So, did you stab Edward Cullen with a pencil or what? I've never seen him act like that."

I cringed. So, I wasn't the only one who had noticed. And, apparently, that wasn't Edward Cullen's usual behavior. I knew it. He does know? Asshole. I decided to play dumb.

"Was that the guy I sat next to in Biology?" I asked artlessly.

"Yes," she said. "He looked like he was in pain or something."

"I don't know," I responded. "I never spoke to him."

"He's a weird guy." Kate lingered by me instead of heading to the dressing room. "If I were lucky enough to sit by you, I would have talked to you."

I cocked an eyebrow up at her before walking through the boys' locker room door. She was friendly and clearly admiring. But it wasn't enough to ease my irritation.

The Gym teacher, Coach Clapp, found me a uniform but didn't make me dress down for today's class. At home, only two years of P.E. were required. Here, P.E. was mandatory all four years.

I watched four volleyball games running simultaneously. Remembering how uncomfortable I had been when I was younger. Now it didn't seem so bad, though I was allowed to take frequent breaks since my upper body and arms were still weak from recovery.

The final bell rang at last. I ambled to the office to return my paperwork. The rain had drifted away, but the wind was strong and colder. I wrapped my arms around myself.

When I walked into the warm office, I froze.

Edward Cullen stood at the desk in front of me. I recognized that tousled bronze hair again. He didn't appear to notice the sound of my entrance. I stood near the back wall, waiting for the receptionist to be free.

He was arguing with her in a low voice. I quickly picked up the gist of the argument. He was trying to trade from sixth-hour Biology to another time — any other time.

Ugh, the jerk. I just couldn't believe that I was really going to have to put up with him all year. I'd met a few transphobic people during my transition but, Edward seemed to hold the most passionate, open hatred of me.

As I stepped towards him, the door opened again. The girl who came in merely stepped to the desk, placed a note in the wire basket, and walked out again. But Edward Cullen's back stiffened, and he turned slowly to glare at me with piercing, hate-filled eyes.

"Do we have a problem here?" I growled, despite the thrill of genuine fear I felt. He turned back to the receptionist.

"Never mind, then," he said hastily. "I can see that it's impossible. Thank you so much for your help." And he turned on his heel without another look at me and disappeared out the door. He couldn't even talk to me.

I went to the desk, my face flushed with blood, and handed her the signed slip.

"How did your first day go, dear?" the receptionist asked maternally.

"Fine," I lied, my voice stern. She didn't look convinced.

When I got to the truck, it was almost the last car in the lot. I sat inside for a while, just staring out the windshield, seething. I was mad at Edward for being an asshole. I was mad at my dad for registering me under the wrong name! And I was too mad to see that, overall, today hadn't been that bad. I turned the key, and the engine roared to life.

I headed back to Charlie's house, we were going to have to talk.


	3. Oh, Charlie I:(

I sat in the kitchen with my arms crossed until he came home. It was pretty late when he walked in; he started when he saw me. We stared at each other for a few moments. I watched his face as he tried to figure out what I was still doing up.

"Are you ok, Jack?" He asked.

"So, you remember my name now?" I droned. It suddenly clicked; he got it.

"I can explain," He started.

"Yeah?" I said, "How many people did you tell my wrong name to?"

"Just the school faculty," He looked down, "I registered you under your legal name." I see; I guess my mom hadn't told him.

"Jack is my legal name," I said, "It's on my birth certificate. Mom and Phil helped me with it."

"Oh."

"Yeah," I said, "Oh." He fidgeted and looked around. I was still mad, but a part of me realized that as a police officer he would have registered in what he thought was the correct way. I suppose what was getting me upset now was that the poor communication between my parents had caused this problem.

"It spread like wildfire, you know." I continued. "A few kids called me by that name. There's a guy I'm pretty sure put two and two together. I don't know if he's going to keep it to himself."

"What do you want from me?" He said, looking at his feet.

"An apology would be a great start."

"I'm sorry."

I let it sit there for a bit. Charlie peeked up at me. I hoped he could see how hurt and angry I was. He looked down again but, said nothing. This must have been an awkward conversation for him. It was technically his first real conversation with me as his son. It was going to take time for him to get used to this. It was going to take me time to recover from what happened with my name today emotionally. It was just going to take time for both of us.

"I'm going to bed," I said. I started towards the stairs.

"Jack," Charlie said. I turned. He tried to say something but, couldn't find the words. If I hadn't been so angry, I might have waited to hear what he was trying to say. But after a few false starts from him, I walked to my room and slammed my door shut.

The next was better… and worse.

It was better because it wasn't raining yet, though the clouds were dense and opaque. It was easier because I sort of knew what to expect of my day. Kate came by to sit by me in English and walked with me to my next class. She, as well as Bubbly Lil Alia, kept flirting with me; that was reassuring. It made me realized that I passed more as male than I had initially thought. People didn't look at me quite as much as they had yesterday. I sat with a big group at lunch that included Kate, Alia, Teddy, and several other people whose names and faces I now remembered. I began to feel like I was treading water, instead of drowning in it.

It was worse because I was tired; I still couldn't sleep with the wind echoing around the house and rage hammering in my chest. It was worse because Mr. Varner called on me in Trig when my hand wasn't raised and I had the wrong answer. It was miserable because I had to play volleyball, and my arms were so tired that the one time I actually hit the ball, I hit my teammate in the head with it.

All morning I was dreading lunch. I had decided that if Edward Cullen threw any bizarre glares at me, I would take him aside and demand to know what his problem was. While I was lying sleepless in my bed, I even imagined what I would say. I even secretly hoped I'd be able to punch him.

But when I walked into the cafeteria with Teddy — trying to keep my eyes from sweeping the place for him and failing entirely — I saw that his four siblings of sorts were sitting together at the same table, and he was not with them.

Kate intercepted us and steered us to her table. Teddy seemed smitten with her, and his friends quickly joined us. But as I tried to listen to their easy chatter, I was terribly uncomfortable, waiting nervously for the moment he would arrive. I hoped that I'd be able to get closure today but, he didn't come, and as time passed I grew more and more tense.

I walked to Biology with more confidence when, by the end of lunch, he still hadn't shown. Kate, who was taking on the qualities of a golden retriever, walked faithfully by my side to class. I held the door open for her as we entered.

"You're such a gentleman, Jack!" she said. I followed her as she kept talking about an upcoming trip to the beach. She lingered by my desk until the bell rang. Then she smiled at me wistfully and went to sit by a girl with braces and a bad perm. It looked like Kate had a serious crush on me. I didn't know how to feel about that. In a town like this, where everyone lived on top of everyone else, diplomacy was essential. I had never been enormously tactful; I had no practice dealing with overly friendly girls. I'm not even sure how a romantic relationship between us would work.

I was relieved that I had the desk to myself, that Edward was absent. I knew that eventually, I was going to have to do something about him. It wasn't going to be easy.

When the school day was finally done, and the feeling was coming back into my arms after the volleyball incident, I changed quickly back into my jeans and navy blue sweater. I hurried from the boys' locker room, pleased to find that I had successfully evaded my retriever friend for the moment. I walked swiftly out to the parking lot. It was crowded now with fleeing students. I got in my truck and dug through my bag to make sure I had what I needed.

Last night, on top of the fact that Charlie didn't know I'd legally changed my name, I'd discovered that Charlie couldn't cook much besides fried eggs and bacon. So, this morning I requested that I be assigned kitchen detail for the duration of my stay. He was willing enough to hand over the keys to the banquet hall. I also found out that he had no food in the house. So, I had my shopping list and the cash from the jar in the cupboard labeled FOOD MONEY, and I was on my way to the Thriftway.

I gunned my deafening engine to life - I felt powerful as the heads in the lot turned in my direction - and backed carefully into a place in the line of cars that were waiting to exit the parking lot. As I waited, I saw the two Cullens and the Hale twins getting into their vehicle. It was the shiny new Volvo. Of course. I hadn't noticed their clothes before. Now that I looked, it was evident that they were all dressed exceptionally well; but in clothes that subtly hinted at designer origins. It seemed excessive for them to have both looks and money. But as far as I could tell, life worked that way most of the time. It didn't look as if it bought them any acceptance here.

No, I didn't fully believe that. The isolation must be their desire; I couldn't imagine any door that wouldn't be opened by that degree of beauty.

They looked at my noisy truck as I passed them, just like everyone else. I kept my eyes straight forward and was relieved when I was finally was free of the school grounds.

The Thriftway was not far from the school, just a few streets south, off the highway. It was nice to be inside the supermarket; it felt normal. I did the shopping at home, and I fell into the pattern of the familiar task gladly. The store was big enough inside that I couldn't hear the tapping of the rain on the roof.

When I got home, I unloaded all the groceries, stuffing them in wherever I could find an open space. I hoped Charlie wouldn't mind. I wrapped potatoes in foil and stuck them in the oven to bake, got some peppers, zucchini, onions, and beans going in a cast iron pan. I marinaded them and simmered them for a bit.

When I was finished with that, I put the dish in the oven and took my book bag upstairs. Before starting my homework, I changed into a pair of dry sweats and checked my e-mail for the first time. I had three messages.

"Jack," my mom wrote…

Write to me as soon as you get in. Tell me how your flight was. Is it raining? I miss you already. I'm almost finished packing for Florida, but I can't find my pink blouse. Do you know where I put it? Phil says hi. Mom.

I sighed and went to the next. It was sent eight hours after the first.

"Jack," she wrote…

Why haven't you e-mailed me yet? What are you waiting for?

Mom.

The last was from this morning.

Jack,

If I haven't heard from you by 5:30 p.m. today I'm calling Charlie.

I checked the clock. I still had an hour, but my mom was well known for jumping the gun.

Mom,

Calm down. I'm writing right now. Don't do anything rash.

Jack.

I sent that and began again.

Mom,

Everything is great. Of course, it's raining. I was waiting for something to write about. School isn't bad, just a little repetitive. I met some nice kids who sit by me at lunch. Your blouse is at the dry cleaners - you were supposed to pick it up Friday. Charlie bought me a truck, can you believe it? I love it. It's old, but really sturdy, which is good, you know, for me. I miss you too. I'll write again soon, but I'm not going to check my e-mail every five minutes.

Relax, breathe. I love you.

Jack.

I had decided to read Wuthering Heights — the novel we were currently studying in English — again for the fun of it, and that's what I was doing when Charlie came home. I'd lost track of time, and I hurried downstairs to take the cast iron pan out of the warming oven.

"Jack?" my father called out when he heard me on the stairs.

Who else? I thought to myself.

"Hey, Dad, welcome home."

"Thanks." He hung up his gun belt and stepped out of his boots as I bustled about the kitchen. As far as I was aware, he'd never shot the gun on the job. But he kept it ready. When I came here as a child, he would always remove the bullets as soon as he walked in the door. I guess he considered me old enough now not to shoot myself by accident, and not depressed enough to shoot myself on purpose.

"What's for dinner?" he asked warily. He eyed me carefully. He was testing the waters to see if I was still mad at him. I thought about it, and I really had calmed down.

"Veggie stir-fry," I answered, and he looked saddened.

"I forgot you were a vegetarian." He said, "Though I'm glad it's not something more… creative." My mother was an imaginative cook, and her experiments weren't always edible. I was surprised and sad that he seemed to remember that far back.

He seemed to feel awkward standing in the kitchen doing nothing; he lumbered into the living room to watch TV while I worked. We were both comfortable that way. I set the table.

I called him in when dinner was ready, and he sniffed appreciatively as he walked into the room.

"Smells good, Jack."

"Thanks."

We ate in silence for a few minutes. It wasn't uncomfortable. The tension from last night had completely dissipated, and neither of us was bothered by the quiet. In some ways, we were well suited for living together.

"So, how did you like school? Have you made any friends?" he asked as he was taking seconds.

"Well, I have a few classes with a boy named Teddy. I sit with his friends at lunch. And there's this girl, Kate, who's very friendly. Everybody seems pretty nice." With one outstanding exception.

"That must be Kate Newton. Nice kid — nice family. Her dad owns the sporting goods store just outside of town. She makes a good living off all the backpackers who come through here."

"Do you know the Cullen family?" I asked hesitantly.

"Dr. Cullen's family? Sure. Dr. Cullen's a great man."

"They… the kids… are a little different. They don't seem to fit in very well at school."

Charlie surprised me by looking angry.

"People in this town," he muttered. "Dr. Cullen is a brilliant surgeon who could probably work in any hospital in the world, make ten times the salary he gets here," he continued, getting louder. "We're lucky to have him — lucky that his wife wanted to live in a small town. He's an asset to the community, and all of those kids are well behaved and polite. I had my doubts, when they first moved in, with all those adopted teenagers. I thought we might have some problems with them. But they're all very mature — I haven't had one speck of trouble from any of them. That's more than I can say for the children of some folks who have lived in this town for generations. And they stick together the way a family should — camping trips every other weekend… Just because they're newcomers, people have to talk."

It was the longest speech I'd ever heard Charlie make. He must feel strongly about whatever people were saying. Should I tell him what I thought about Edward?

"They seemed nice enough to me," I started, "I just noticed they kept to themselves. They're all very attractive," I added, trying to be more complimentary.

"You should see the doctor," Charlie said, laughing. "It's a good thing he's happily married. A lot of the nurses at the hospital have a hard time concentrating on their work with him around."

We lapsed back into silence as we finished eating. I decided not to tell him about Edward yet.

He cleared the table while I started on the dishes. He went back to the TV, and after I finished washing the dishes by hand — no dishwasher — I went upstairs to work on my math homework. I could feel a tradition in the making.

That night it was finally quiet. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted.

The rest of the week was uneventful. I got used to the routine of my classes. By Friday I was able to recognize, if not name, almost all the students at the school. In Gym, the kids on my team learned that they could rely on me with the ball more often as my arms became stronger and more functional.

Edward Cullen didn't come back to school.


	4. Open Book

I was at first, very nervous about Edward. He wasn't at school so, where was he? Was he telling others about me? I secretly monitored everyone I interacted with during the following week. No one seemed to be treating me differently. And everything seemed to stay that way. By Wednesday I had forgotten about him. I was completely engaged in the lives of my friends. Together we were planning a trip to the La Push Ocean Park. I was excited to go. I was curious to see what the beaches here were like. I wondered if it'd somehow be hot and dry.

By Friday I was perfectly comfortable entering my Biology class, no longer worried that Edward would be there. For all, I knew he'd dropped out of school. I couldn't really bring myself to care. Though, I began to doubt whether or not he actually did know about me.

My first weekend in Forks passed without incident. Charlie, unused to spending time in the usually empty house, worked most of the weekend. I cleaned the house, got ahead on my homework, and wrote my mom a cheerful e-mail. I did drive to the library Saturday, but it was so poorly stocked that I didn't bother to get a card; I would have to make a date to visit Olympia or Seattle soon and find a good bookstore. I wondered idly what kind of gas mileage the truck got… yikes.

The rain stayed soft over the weekend, quiet, so I was able to sleep well.

People greeted me in the parking lot Monday morning. I didn't know all their names, but I waved back and smiled at everyone. It was colder this morning, but happily not raining. In English, Kate took her accustomed seat by my side, and Alia sat in the back. We had a pop quiz on Wuthering Heights. It was straightforward, very easy. All in all, I was feeling a lot more comfortable than I had thought I would feel by this point.

When we walked out of class, the air was full of swirling bits of white. I could hear people shouting excitedly to each other. The wind bit at my cheeks and my nose.

"Wow," Kate said, "It's snowing!"

"Huh." Snow. I haven't seen this in over four years.

Kate looked at me, "You don't like snow?"

"I can't remember." I mused, "I know snow means it's too cold to rain." Kate giggled.

"That's true, but haven't you ever seen snow fall before?" she asked incredulously.

"Sure, I have." I paused then added jokingly: "On TV."

Kate laughed. And then a big, squishy ball of dripping snow smacked into the back of her head. We both turned to see where it came from. Alia was standing a few feet away from us, giggling.

"Sorry!" she called, "I was aiming for Jack." I smiled. Alia was an excellent shot. If she'd wanted to hit me, she would have. That snowball was clearly meant for Kate.

"You'll ruin my hair!" Kate screeched at Alia, "You're such a jerk!"

"I'll see you at lunch, ok?" I began to walk away. I always disengaged when makeup and hairdos were the topics of conversation.

"That girl is a menace!" Kate said, her eyes on Alia's retreating form.

Throughout the morning, everyone chattered excitedly about the snow; apparently, it was the first snowfall of the new year. I was still on the fence about it. Sure, seeing snow made me feel nostalgic and it was drier than rain but it was cold, and it melted in your socks.

I walked alertly to the cafeteria with Teddy after Spanish. Mush balls were flying everywhere. I kept a binder in my hands, ready to use it as a shield if necessary. Teddy thought I was hilarious and couldn't help himself from lobbing a snowball at me from behind.

"Traitor!" I playfully cried as I threw a snowball at him as well. We engaged in a full-on snowball fight with Alia joining at some point. When we finally got in line to buy food, we were all wet and in giggles.

"How do you feel about the snow now?" Alia asked.

"I'm still on the fence about it." I fibbed. I think I liked the snow now. This was fun.

"I can't believe you're a vegetarian," Teddy said when he saw what I ordered for lunch.

"What?" I said, "There's nothing wrong with not eating meat." Teddy shook his head.

"I'm going to convert you," he said, "You'll see!" I didn't. I doubt he'd succeed. Being a vegetarian was more of a moral choice for me than a health choice.

As we headed towards our table, something in my peripheral caught my attention. I glanced towards the table at the far end of the cafeteria, the Cullens' table, and… there were five people at the table.

They were laughing. Edward, Jasper, and Emmett all had their hair entirely saturated with melting snow. Alice and Rosalie were leaning away as Emmett shook his dripping hair toward them. They were enjoying the snowy day, just like everyone else.

"Jack, what are you staring at?" Teddy intruded, his eyes following my stare.

At that precise moment, Edward's eyes flashed and met mine. I stiffened. His expression was less harsh and hateful than the last time I'd see him. He looked merely curious again, unsatisfied in some way.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," Teddy noted.

"Yes, he is." I said, "I don't think he likes me."

"Meh," Teddy waved his hand, "The Cullens don't like anybody. That's sort of their thing." He turned to me. "Stop glaring at him, man!" I blinked. Was I glaring? I don't know why but my anger towards him didn't seem to be there anymore.

Alia interrupted us then — she was planning another epic battle of the blizzard in the parking lot after school and wanted us to join. Teddy enthusiastically agreed as he was always up for competition. I kept silent. I regretted injecting into my upper thigh this morning. I didn't notice it earlier, but after the snowball fight, my butt muscle was really sore.

For the rest of the lunch hour I subtlety shifted my weight to my left side, hoping no one would think I was passing gas.

I didn't really want to walk to class with Teddy as usual — he seemed to be a popular target for the snowball snipers — but when we went to the door, everyone besides me groaned in unison. It was raining, washing all traces of the snow away in clear, icy ribbons down the side of the walkway. I pulled my hood up, secretly pleased. I wasn't up for another snowball fight.

Once inside the classroom, I saw Mr. Banner was walking around the room, distributing one microscope and box of slides to each table. The class didn't start for a few minutes, and the room buzzed with conversation. I remembered that Edward sat next to me in class and became slightly nervous. I didn't know what to make of him now. I kept my eyes away from the door, doodling idly on the cover of my notebook.

I heard very clearly the chair next to me moved, but my eyes stayed carefully focused on the pattern I was drawing.

"Hello," said a quiet voice. I knew it'd be rude not to look up at him so, I did. He was sitting as far away from me as the desk allowed, but his chair was angled toward me. His hair was dripping wet and disheveled; his expression was friendly, open, a slight smile playing on his lips. But his eyes were careful.

"My name is Edward Cullen," he continued. "I didn't have a chance to introduce myself last week. You must be Jack LeFleche."

I began to feel guilty for being so angry at him last week; I supposed after experiencing trans-phobia in Phoenix, I had started seeing it everywhere, even when it wasn't there. I tried to be casual.

"Yo." I said, "That's me." I thought about asking him if he knew what was up with me but, then I was afraid that if I did that it'd clue him in if he didn't know. He continued to stare at me awkwardly. We were both out of things to say to each other, so I turned back to my book.

Thankfully, Mr. Banner started class at that moment. I tried to concentrate as he explained the lab we would be doing today. The slides in the box were out of order. Working as lab partners, we had to separate the slides of onion root tip cells into the phases of mitosis they represented and label them accordingly. We weren't supposed to use our books. In twenty minutes, he would be coming around to see who had it right.

"Get started," he commanded.

"Do you want to go first, partner?" Edward asked. I looked up to see him smiling crookedly. This version of Edward was utterly different than the person I met last week. I didn't get it.

"Or I could start if you wish." The smile faded.

"No," I said. "I'll go ahead."

I was showing off, just a little. I'd already done this lab, and I knew what I was looking for. It should be easy. I snapped the first slide into place under the microscope and adjusted it quickly to the 40X objective. I studied the slide briefly.

My assessment was confident. "Prophase."

"Do you mind if I look?" he asked as I began to remove the slide. His hand caught mine, to stop me, as he asked. His fingers were ice-cold like he'd been holding them in a snowdrift before class. I jerked my hand away.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, pulling his hand back immediately. However, he continued to reach for the microscope. I watched him as he examined the slide for an even shorter time than I had.

"Prophase," he agreed, writing it neatly in the first space on our worksheet. He swiftly switched out the first slide for the second, and then glanced at it cursorily.

"Anaphase," he murmured, writing it down as he spoke.

I kept my voice indifferent. "May I?"

He smirked and pushed the microscope to me.

I looked through the eyepiece eagerly, only to be disappointed. Dang it, he was right.

"Slide three?" I held out my hand without looking at him.

He handed it to me; it seemed like he was being careful not to touch my skin again.

I took the most fleeting look I could manage.

"Interphase." I passed him the microscope before he could ask for it. He took a swift peek and then wrote it down. We continued like this until our pages were filled out.

We were finished before anyone else was close. I could see Kate and her partner comparing two slides again and again, and another group had their book open under the table.

Which left me with nothing to do but doodle in my book again. However, I could feel him staring at me. I glanced up, and he was, indeed, staring at me, that same inexplicable look of frustration in his eyes. Suddenly I identified that subtle difference in his face.

"Did you get contacts?" I blurted out.

He seemed puzzled by my unexpected question. "No."

"Oh," I mumbled. "I thought there was something different about your eyes."

He shrugged and looked away. In fact, I was sure there was something different. I vividly remembered the flat black color of his eyes the last time he'd glared at me — the color was striking against the background of his pale skin and his auburn hair. Today, his eyes were a completely different color: a strange ocher, darker than butterscotch, but with the same golden tone. I didn't understand how that could be unless he was lying for some reason about the contacts. I didn't mind; I had my secrets he had his. I respected that.

I looked down. His hands were clenched into hard fists again.

Mr. Banner came to our table then, to see why we weren't working. He looked over our shoulders to glance at the completed lab, and then stared more intently to check the answers.

"So, Edward, didn't you think Jack should get a chance with the microscope?" Mr. Banner asked.

Edward looked at me. "Actually, he identified three of the five."

Mr. Banner looked at me now; his expression was skeptical.

"Have you done this lab before?" he asked.

I smiled. "Not with onion root."

"Whitefish blastula?"

"Yup."

Mr. Banner nodded. "Were you in an advanced placement program in Phoenix?"

"Yes."

"Well," he said after a moment, "I guess it's good you two are lab partners." He mumbled something else as he walked away. After he left, I began doodling on my notebook again.

"It was nice that it snowed, wasn't it?" Edward asked. I had the feeling that he was forcing himself to make small talk with me. Paranoia swept over me again. How much about me did he know?

"Why do you ask?" I asked.

"You like snow." It wasn't a question.

"Not really," I said, keeping my eyes on my book.

"No?" Edward said, "Why not?"

"Because it melted in my shoes and now my feet are wet and cold," I said.

"Forks must be a difficult place for you to live," he mused.

"A little bit," I said. "I guess I'm still getting used to it here."

"Why did you move here?"

So, I guess he didn't know about me? Whatever the case I did not want to open that can of worms right here, right now.

"Why do you want to know, man?" I said defensively.

"That's a very good question," he muttered, so quietly that I wondered if he was talking to himself. I sighed and turned to the blackboard. I shifted too much weight on my right side and winced.

"Are you ok?" He asked.

"I'm fine," I answered quickly.

"Am I annoying you?" he asked. He sounded amused.

I glanced at him and decided to tell him the truth. "No. You're confusing me. Last week I could've sworn you hated me and now you're acting like this. I kind of think you're messing with me, and that's annoying me."

"I'm not messing with you." He said.

"How much do you know about me?" I asked. He thought for a second.

"I know there was a mix up with your name last week." He said, "Some sort of prank your father pulled on you?" And just like that, the balloon of anxiety deflated. The way he looked; the way he said it; he really didn't know about me. I sighed and looked at the board again, trying to hide my relief.

"What are you thinking?" He murmured. I almost thought he was talking to himself. I leaned back in my seat.

"I'm usually pretty easy to read." I said, "I tend to wear my emotions on my sleeve. When I have them."

"On the contrary, I find you very difficult to read." Despite everything that he'd guessed, he sounded like he meant it.

"Well, ok then," I said.

Mr. Banner called the class to order then, and I turned to listen. I still didn't really know what to make of Edward. He'd seemed engrossed in our conversation, but now I could see, from the corner of my eye, that he was leaning away from me again, his hands gripping the edge of the table with unmistakable tension.

I tried to appear attentive as Mr. Banner illustrated, with transparencies on the overhead projector, what I had seen without difficulty through the microscope. But I'd already done it, so it ended up sort of boring.

When the bell finally rang, Edward rushed as swiftly and as gracefully from the room as he had last Monday. And, like last Monday, I stared after him slightly confused.

Kate skipped quickly to my side and leaned on my desk.

"That was awful," she groaned. "They all looked exactly the same. You're lucky you had Cullen for a partner."

"I didn't have any trouble with it," I said, stung by her assumption. I regretted the snub instantly. "I've done the lab before, though," I added before she could get her feelings hurt.

"Cullen seemed friendly enough today," she commented as we shrugged into our raincoats. She didn't seem pleased about it.

"I wonder what was with him last Monday," I said.

I couldn't concentrate on Kate's chatter as we walked to the Gym. I was eager to start proving myself in volleyball. Kate was on my team today, and she was distracted today. I chivalrously covered her position as well as my own. I impressed my teammates when it was my turn to serve. It felt good.

The rain was just a mist as I walked to the parking lot, but I was happier when I was in the dry cab. I got the heater running. I unzipped my jacket, put the hood down, and fluffed my damp hair out so the heater could dry it on the way home.

I looked around me to make sure it was clear. That's when I noticed the still, white figure. Edward Cullen was leaning against the front door of the Volvo, three cars down from me, and staring intently in my direction. I accidentally hit the gas and threw the truck into reverse, almost hitting a rusty Toyota Corolla to my surprise. Lucky for the Toyota, I switched to the breaks in time. It was just the sort of car that my truck would make scrap metal of. I took a deep breath, still looking out the other side of my car, and cautiously pulled out again, with greater success. I stared straight ahead as I passed the Volvo, but from a peripheral peek, I would swear I saw him laughing.


	5. Accidents

When I opened my eyes in the morning, something was different.

It was the light; it was still the gray-green light of a cloudy day in the forest, but it was clearer somehow. I realized there was no fog veiling my window.

I jumped up to look outside and then groaned in annoyance.

A fine layer of snow covered the yard, dusted the top of my truck, and whitened the road. But the worst part was all the rain from yesterday had frozen solid — coating the needles on the trees in fantastic, gorgeous patterns, and making the driveway a deadly ice slick. It was going to be a difficult time walking without slipping.

Charlie had left for work before I got downstairs. In a lot of ways, living with Charlie was like having my own place, and I found it a little lonely.

I threw down a quick bowl of cereal and some orange juice from the carton. I felt excited to go to school; I wanted to meet up with all my new friends. It really gave me a sense of community. I was also secretly curious what version of Edward Cullen I was going to run into today.

I was still frightened of the hostility I sometimes felt emanating from him, but now I wasn't sure what was causing that. I remembered that Teddy had joked that he was gay but, I'm not sure how that would affect his behavior towards me. Unless… he had a crush on me? That was, um, flattering? But, I didn't swing that way, so I really hoped he didn't have a crush on me.

I almost lost my balance when I finally got to the truck, but I managed to cling to the side mirror and save myself.

Driving to school, I thought about Kate and Alia, and the obvious difference in how teenage girls responded to me here. I felt confident, I felt like the real me I was always meant to be. Back in Phoenix, the girls back home had watched me pass slowly through all the awkward phases of adolescence. But, here no one had that connection to me, and it was liberating.

My truck seemed to have no problem with the black ice that covered the roads. I drove very slowly, though, not wanting to carve a path of destruction through Main Street.

When I got out of my truck at school, I saw why I'd had so little trouble. Something silver caught my eye, and I walked to the back of the truck — carefully holding the side for support — to examine my tires.

There were thin chains crisscrossed in diamond shapes around them. Charlie had gotten up who knows how early to put snow chains on my truck. My throat suddenly felt tight. I wasn't used to being taken care of, and Charlie's unspoken concern caught me by surprise.

I was standing by the back corner of the truck, struggling to fight back the sudden wave of emotion the snow chains had brought on when I heard an odd sound.

It was a high-pitched screech, and it was fast becoming painfully loud. I looked up, startled.

I saw several things simultaneously. Nothing was moving in slow motion, the way it does in the movies. Instead, the adrenaline rush seemed to make my brain work much faster, and I was able to absorb in clear detail several things at once.

Edward Cullen was standing four cars down from me, staring at me in horror. His face stood out from a sea of faces, all frozen in the same mask of shock. But of more immediate importance was the dark blue van that was skidding, tires locked and squealing against the brakes, spinning wildly across the ice of the parking lot. It was going to hit the back corner of my truck, and I was standing between them. I tried to leap out of the way. My ankle slipped, and I knew I wasn't going to make it.

Just before I heard the shattering crunch of the van folding around the truck bed, something hit me, hard, but not from the direction I was expecting. My head cracked against the icy blacktop causing my ears to ring, and I felt something solid and cold pinning me to the ground. I was lying on the pavement behind the tan car I'd parked next to. But I didn't have a chance to notice anything else, because the van was still coming. It had curled gratingly around the end of the truck and, still spinning and sliding, was about to collide with me again.

A low oath made me aware that someone was with me, and the voice was impossible not to recognize. Two long, white hands shot out protectively in front of me, and the van shuddered to a stop a foot from my face, the large hands fitting providentially into a deep dent in the side of the van's body.

Then his hands moved so fast they blurred. One was suddenly gripping under the body of the van, and something was dragging me, swinging my legs around like a rag doll's, till they hit the tire of the tan car. A groaning metallic thud hurt my ears, and the van settled, glass popping, onto the asphalt — exactly where, a second ago, my legs had been.

It was absolutely silent for one long second before the screaming began. In the sheer chaos, I could hear more than one person shouting my name. But more clearly than all the yelling, I could hear Edward Cullen's low, frantic voice in my ear.

"Jack? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine." My voice sounded strange. I tried to sit up and realized he was holding me against the side of his body in an iron grasp.

"Be careful," he warned as I struggled. "I think you hit your head pretty hard."

I didn't think I hit my head that hard, despite the throbbing ache centered above my left ear.

"Ow," I said, groggily.

"That's what I thought." His voice, annoyingly, sounded like he was suppressing laughter.

"How in the…" I trailed off, trying to clear my head, get my bearings. "How did you get over here so fast?"

"I was standing right next to you, Jack," he said, his tone serious again. I turned to sit up, and this time he let me, releasing his hold around my waist and sliding as far from me as he could in the limited space. My head was so heavy that I flopped over without his support.

And then they found us, a crowd of people with tears streaming down their faces, shouting at each other, shouting at us.

"Don't move," Alia's voice instructed.

"Get Tyler out of the van!" someone else shouted.

There was a flurry of activity around us. I closed my eyes.

"Jack, are you ok?" Edward sounded concerned

"I'm cold," I mumbled. It surprised me when he chuckled under his breath. There was an edge to the sound.

"Keep talking." He said after a moment.

"You were over there," I slowly recalled. "You were by your car."

"No, I wasn't." Wait… was he gaslighting me?

"I saw you." All around us was chaos. I could hear the gruffer voices of adults arriving on the scene. I hoped I wasn't in too bad condition.

"Jack, I was standing with you, and I pulled you out of the way." He sounded as if trying to communicate something crucial.

"My head's so…" I forgot what I was going to say.

"Jack?"

I could hear the sirens now. "Please don't lie to me. Promise me that you'll explain everything to me later." I murmured.

"Alright," he snapped, abruptly exasperated.

It took six EMTs and two teachers — Mr. Varner and Coach Clapp — to shift the van far enough away from us to bring the stretchers in. Edward told the EMTs I'd hit my head and probably had a concussion; I probably did. They put a neck brace around my neck, and they loaded me in the back of the ambulance. It looked like the entire school was there, watching soberly as this all went down. Edward got to ride in the front. Why was he coming with me?

Chief LeFleche arrived before they could drive away.

"Jack!" he yelled in panic when he recognized me on the stretcher. His voice made my head hurt. I closed my eyes.

He turned to the closest EMT for an opinion. I tuned him out to consider the jumble of inexplicable images churning chaotically in my head. When they'd lifted me away from the car, I had seen the deep dent in the tan car's bumper — a very distinct dent that fit the contours of Edward's shoulders… as if he had braced himself against the car with enough force to damage the metal frame… Unless I imagined all that.

And then there was his family, looking on from the distance, with expressions that ranged from disapproval to fury but held no hint of concern for their brother's safety.

I was told the ambulance got a police escort to the county hospital. I felt my head clearing up on the way there, and I was fully myself by the time they were unloading me. I couldn't help but notice Edward quietly glided through the hospital doors under his own power like he was part of my family. That annoyed me.

They put me in the emergency room, a long room with a line of beds separated by pastel-patterned curtains. A nurse put a pressure cuff on my arm and a thermometer under my tongue. I was feeling better, and I didn't think I needed the neck-brace anymore, but I didn't want to risk hurting myself by trying to get it off.

There was another flurry of hospital personnel, another stretcher brought to the bed next to me. I recognized Tyler Crowley from my Government class beneath the bloodstained bandages wrapped tightly around his head. Tyler looked a hundred times worse than I felt. But he was staring anxiously at me.

"Jack, I'm so sorry!"

"I'm fine, Tyler," I turned my torso awkwardly as my neck was immobile. "You look awful, are you all right?" As we spoke, nurses began unwinding his soiled bandages, exposing a myriad of shallow slices all over his forehead and left cheek.

He ignored me. "I thought I was going to kill you! I was going too fast, and I hit the ice wrong…" He winced as one nurse started dabbing at his face.

"It's ok; you missed me."

"How did you get out of the way so fast? You were there, and then you were gone…"

"Umm… Edward pulled me out of the way."

He looked confused. "Who?"

"Edward Cullen — he was standing next to me."

"Cullen? I didn't see him… wow, it was all so fast, I guess. Is he okay?" So, he wasn't next to me.

"I think so. He's here somewhere, but they didn't make him use a stretcher."

I knew I wasn't crazy. Edward was definitely trying to gaslight me. Why? What didn't he want me to know?

They wheeled me away then, to X-ray my head. It turns out I didn't have a concussion. I asked if I could leave, but the nurse said I had to talk to a doctor first. So, I was trapped in the ER, waiting, harassed by Tyler's constant apologies and promises to make it up to me. No matter how many times I tried to convince him I was fine, he continued to torment himself. Finally, I closed my eyes and ignored him. He kept up a remorseful mumbling.

"Is she sleeping?" a voice asked. My eyes flew open.

Edward was standing at the foot of my bed, smirking. I glared at him.

"Hey, Edward, I'm really sorry —" Tyler began.

"No blood, no foul," he said, smiling. He moved to sit on the edge of Tyler's bed, facing me. He smirked again.

"So, what's the verdict?" he asked me.

"Well, I don't have a concussion, so that's good," I started. We stared at each other awkwardly.

"Do you want to go back to school?" he asked.

"What?" That came out of nowhere, "Why?"

"Because I came to spring you." I, well… Hmmm.

Then a doctor walked around the corner, and he was young, he was blond. He was pale and tired-looking, with circles under his eyes. From Charlie's description, this had to be Edward's father.

"So, Mr. LeFleche," Dr. Cullen said in a remarkably appealing voice, "how are you feeling?" I thought for a second.

"Much better," I said, "I think I just had the wind knocked out of me."

He walked to the lightboard on the wall over my head and turned it on.

"Your X-rays look good," he said. "Does your head hurt? Edward said you hit it pretty hard."

"It doesn't hurt too bad, now," I said.

The doctor's cool fingers probed lightly along my skull. He noticed when I winced.

"Tender?" he asked.

"A little," I said, "But I've had worse."

I heard a chuckle and looked over to see Edward's patronizing smile. My paranoia spiked again. Did he know what I meant by worse?

"Well, your father is in the waiting room — you can go home with him now. But come back if you feel dizzy or have trouble with your eyesight at all."

"Alright," I said, I guess I should take it easy today.

I glanced at Edward. "Does he have to go home too?"

"No, I'm off to school," Edward said smugly. "Someone has to spread the good news that we survived."

"Actually," Dr. Cullen corrected, "most of the school seems to be in the waiting room."

"Oh," I felt my face go red.

Dr. Cullen raised his eyebrows. "Do you want to stay?"

"Nah," I said, "I got this." I quickly threw my legs over the side of the bed and hopped off; too quickly — I staggered, and Dr. Cullen caught me. He looked concerned.

"Haha, oops," I assured him.

"Take some Tylenol for the pain," he suggested as he steadied me.

"It doesn't hurt that bad," I insisted. I remembered my surgery, now that was pain.

"It sounds like you were extremely lucky," Dr. Cullen said, smiling as he signed my chart with a flourish.

"Lucky Edward happened to be standing next to me," I amended with a hard glance at the subject of my statement.

"Oh, well, yes," Dr. Cullen agreed, suddenly occupied with the papers in front of him. Then he looked away, at Tyler, and walked to the next bed. Wait, was the doctor was in on it too?

"I'm afraid that you'll have to stay with us just a little bit longer," he said to Tyler and began checking his cuts.

As soon as the doctor's back was turned, I moved to Edward's side.

"Can I talk to you for a minute?" I hissed under my breath. He took a step back from me, his jaw suddenly clenched.

"Your father is waiting for you," he said through his teeth.

I glanced at Dr. Cullen and Tyler.

"I'd like to speak with you alone, if you don't mind," I pressed.

He glared, and then turned his back and strode down the long room. He was fast, I nearly had to run to keep up. As soon as we turned the corner into a short hallway, he spun around to face me.

"What do you want?" he asked, sounding annoyed. His eyes were cold.

His unfriendliness intimidated me. My words came out with less severity than I'd intended. "You're gaslighting me," I said, "Why?"

"I saved your life — I don't owe you anything."

I flinched back from the resentment in his voice. "Edward, you-."

"Jack, you hit your head, you don't know what you're talking about." His tone was cutting.

My temper flared now, and I glared defiantly at him. "There's nothing wrong with my head."

He glared back. "What do you want from me, Jack?"

"I want to know the truth," I said. "I want to know why you're lying to me."

"What do you think happened?" he snapped.

It came out in a rush.

"All I know is that you weren't anywhere near me — Tyler didn't see you, either, so don't tell me I hit my head too hard. That van was going to crush us both — and it didn't, and your hands left dents in the side of it — and you left a dent in the other car, and you're not hurt at all — and the van should have smashed my legs, but you were holding it up…" I could hear how crazy it sounded, and I couldn't continue. What was I doing? I remember how limp I felt after I hit my head. I didn't get a concussion, but maybe I was still… wrong?

He was staring at me incredulously. But his face was tense, defensive.

"You think I lifted a van off you?" His tone questioned my sanity

I nodded once.

"Nobody will believe that, you know." His voice held an edge of derision now. I looked up.

"I'm not going to tell anybody." I said each word carefully, "If you don't want me to then I won't."

Surprise flitted across his face. "Then why does it matter?"

"It matters to me," I insisted. "I've been gaslighted before, and it sucks. It made me question my sanity when I was perfectly sane. It spun me into a cycle of depression and anxiety. It made me dependent on an opinion that wasn't mine. It matters because I want to know that I'm not crazy." Edward looked like he'd been punched in the gut.

"I'm sorry." He said, "I don't want you to feel like that."

"So…?" I demanded. He sighed and looked away, he looked nervous.

"Can't you just thank me and get over it?"

"Thank you." I waited expectantly.

"You're not going to let it go, are you?"

"No."

"Then I hope you like disappointment." He said. We glared at each other for a few seconds.

"Edward." I said, "don't talk to me ever again." Edward blinked, bewildered. I'd bet no one ever talked to him like this. I turned and left him behind as I walked to the waiting room.

All my friends were there; Kate, Teddy, Alia, my dad and all of Teddy's friends. They all stood when I walked in. Charlie and Alia rushed to my side. I put my hands up and smiled sheepishly.

"Guys, I'm –" Alia lurched forward and hugged me tightly.

"Jack!" She cried, "we were so worried. Are you ok?" Everyone started talking at once.

"Guys!" I called, "I'm ok! I just got a bit shook up but, Dr. Cullen said I'm ok to go home for today. But I'll be back at school tomorrow." Everyone seemed relieved. Alia hugged me again.

"Do you need help getting home?" She asked. I thought about it and looked to Charlie. He had a pained expression on his face.

"Thanks," I said, "But I think my dad's got that covered."

"It's ok." She insisted, "I can drive, I'll get you home safe."

"I can help too!" Kate called out. Alia glanced at her, blushed and looked down. For the first time, I saw that Alia was intimidated by Kate. Not that she was afraid of her, just that she felt inferior.

"Actually, I'll take care of Jack myself," Charlie said. Kate looked disappointed but, Alia perked up.

Charlie put one arm behind my back, not quite touching me, and began to lead me to the glass doors of the exit. Before we could get to the door, Alia grabbed my arm and pulled me close. Charlie didn't know what to do.

"Jack, please?" She had a look in her eye. I turned to Charlie and whispered, "Could you give us a sec?" He paled but nodded and took a few steps away.

"What did Edward tell you happened?" Alia whispered.

"What?" I asked.

"Shhh!" Alia hissed, "What did Edward tell you?"

I looked at her, "He told me he was standing next to me, and he pulled me aside." She nodded. This seemed to confirm something for her.

"That's not true." She said, "He was next to his car." I felt my eyes widen. She saw it too. She knew he was lying. "Speaking of which," she continued, "You should've seen Tyler's car." My breath hitched. She suddenly bound away from me.

"That's all!" She chirped, "Feel better soon!" I looked around. Kate and Teddy were approaching us. I waved sheepishly at them as I left, hoping to convey that they didn't need to worry anymore.

Charlie and I drove in silence. I was so wrapped up in my thoughts that I barely knew Charlie was there. I was positive that Edward had lied to me about being next to me and that his father was in on it and that Alia was on to it. Still, I could hardly believe what Id' witnessed.

When we got to the house, Charlie finally spoke.

"Um… you'll need to call Renée." He hung his head, guiltily.

A pit formed in my stomach. "You told Mom."

"Sorry."

I trudged towards the house dreading the mess I was about to face.

My mom was in hysterics, of course. I had to tell her I felt fine at least thirty times before she would calm down. She begged me to come home — forgetting the fact that home was empty at the moment — but her pleas were easy to resist. I was consumed by the mysteries Edward and Alia had presented. And more than a little interested by Alia herself. I felt guilty that I hadn't noticed her that much this week. She seemed very perceptive; she was also very attractive.

I decided I might as well go to bed early that night. Charlie continued to watch me anxiously, which touched me. I stopped on my way to grab three Tylenol from the bathroom. They did help, and, as the pain eased, I drifted to sleep.


	6. Spring Dance

The next week I was the center of everyone's attention. Tyler Crowley followed me around, obsessed with making amends. I tried to convince him that all was forgiven and that I didn't need anything from him, but he remained insistent. He followed me between classes and sat at our now-crowded lunch table. I noticed that Kate had become cold towards Alia who had become more open with me.

No one seemed concerned about Edward, though I explained that he was the hero — how he had pulled me out of the way and had nearly been crushed, too. I tried to be convincing. Teddy, Kate, Tyler, and everyone else always commented that they hadn't even seen him there till the van was pulled away. Everyone, except Alia.

"I believe you." She stated matter-of-factly.

"Of course, I believe you too Jack!" Kate followed up quickly.

I became more observant of Alia. The way she stole quick glances at me like she wanted to say something but couldn't find the right words, seemed endearing. I couldn't help but want to get to know her better. And over the week I tried to find more time to talk to her. The best times seemed to be before English class and after school before we left for the day. We would talk about all sorts of interesting things, but she never had anything to say about the Cullens.

Speaking of which, when Edward sat next to me in class, as far from me as the table would allow, he seemed totally unaware of my presence. Only now and then, when his fists would suddenly ball up — skin stretched even whiter over the bones — did I wonder if he wasn't quite as oblivious as he appeared.

The snow washed away for good after that one dangerously icy day. Teddy was disappointed he'd never gotten to stage his epic snowball fight but pleased that the beach trip would soon be possible. As the weeks passed, I felt I hadn't made much progress with Alia. Sure, we were close friends now, much to the chagrin of Kate, but we still hadn't discussed that day in the hospital.

I asked her about it one morning; I asked her what she thought had happened that day when I'd almost been crushed by a truck. She thought for a second.

"There's a spring dance coming up," she said. I shook my head, confused.

"What?"

"There's a spring dance coming up," She repeated, "It's coming up soon, and I'm not planning on going." She looked up at me from under her lashes. "But, if I had a date, I'd go. And I'd probably tell him some interesting stuff about person shaped dents in cars." I didn't understand why she was being so secretive, but I played along.

"What if I asked you to that dance?" I said, "What if I was your date?"

"Then I'd probably invite you out beforehand," Alia said, "And talk about all sorts of stuff."

"Well, then," I said, "Alia?"

"Yes?"

"Would you come to the Spring Dance with me?"

"I would love to, Jack," she smiled.

Very soon after, Teddy called to ask my permission to invite Kate to the spring dance.

"Cool, man! Just wanted to check, you know?" he said when I told him I didn't mind in the least.

"It's cool, Teddy. I already asked someone," I assured him.

"You sly dog!" He exclaimed, "Was it, Alia? You getting all cozy with her?"

"You have fun with Kate," I encouraged.

The next day, I was surprised that Teddy was quietly frustrated in Trig and Spanish. He was silent as he sulked by my side between classes, and I was afraid to ask him why. I wasn't sure if that's something guys talk to each other about.

My suspicions were strengthened during lunch when Teddy sat as far from Kate as possible. Kate was unusually quiet. Alia and I tried to include both our buddies to chat with us, but they sat in silence.

Kate was still quiet as she walked with me to class, the uncomfortable look on her face was a bit concerning. But she didn't bring up the subject until I was in my seat and she was perched on my desk.

"So," Kate said, looking at the floor, "Teddy asked me to the spring dance."

"That's great." I made my voice bright and enthusiastic. "You'll have a lot of fun with Teddy."

"Well…" She floundered as she examined my smile, clearly not happy with my response. "I told him I had to think about it."

"Why would you do that?" I tried not to sound too amused, though I was relieved she hadn't given him an absolute no.

Her face was bright red as she looked down again. I raised my eyebrows to encourage her.

"I was wondering if… well, if you might be planning to ask me."

I paused for a moment as a wave of guilt swept through me. I saw, from the corner of my eye, Edward's head tilt in my direction.

"Kate, I think you should tell him yes," I said.

"Did you already ask someone?" It was my turn to blush. I looked away from her face.

"Y-yeah. I did." I looked up at her. She looked devastated.

"Was it Alia?" She mumbled. I didn't know what to say. I'd greatly underestimated how much of a crush she had on me, and I felt very guilty for hurting her. Before I could say anything, she turned away and walked to her desk. I sighed and put my face in my hands. Mr. Banner began talking, so I opened my eyes.

And Edward was staring at me curiously, that same, edge of frustration even more distinct now in his black eyes.

I stared back, surprised, expecting him to glance away. But instead, he continued to gaze with probing intensity into my eyes. There was no question of me looking away. My hands started to shake.

"Mr. Cullen?" the teacher called, seeking the answer to a question that I hadn't heard.

"The Krebs Cycle," Edward answered, seeming reluctant as he turned to look at Mr. Banner.

I looked down at my book as soon as his eyes left mine, trying to find my place. I worked very hard not to be aware of him for the rest of the hour. When the bell rang, at last, I turned my back to him to gather my things, expecting him to leave immediately as usual.

"Jack?" His voice was soft and gentle.

I turned slowly, unwillingly. He'd better have a good excuse for talking to me. My expression was wary when I finally turned to him; his expression was unreadable.

He didn't say anything.

"I'm sorry, bro. Did you just say something to me?" I asked, trying to sound intimidating.

His lips twitched, fighting a smile. "No, not really," he admitted.

I turned back to by bags and started putting my books away again. He waited.

"I'm sorry." He sounded sincere. "I was very rude, I know. But it's better this way, really."

I looked up at him. His face was solemn.

"I don't know what you mean," I said, my voice guarded.

"It's better if we're not friends," he explained. "Trust me."

My eyes narrowed.

"We are not friends," I hissed through my teeth. "You lied to me, gaslighted me. I am not a moron. I am not crazy, and I told you never to talk to me again."

"I know," He said, "And I agree that I shouldn't."

I gathered my books together, then stood and walked to the door. I meant to storm dramatically out of the room, but I caught the toe of my boot on the door jamb and dropped my books. I stood there for a moment, thinking about leaving them. Then I sighed and bent to pick them up. He was there; he'd already stacked them into a pile. He handed them to me, his face hard.

"Thank you," I said icily.

His eyes narrowed.

"You're welcome," he retorted.

I straightened up swiftly, turned away from him again, and stalked off to Gym without looking back.

Gym was tiring. We'd moved on to basketball, and at first, it was nice to take my mind off recent events. I wasn't the best at the sport, but the game worked my muscles, and that felt great. However, Kate was on my team, and she was very passive-aggressive with me; even refusing to pass to me.

It was almost a relief to leave. I felt terrible for hurting Kate. I liked her; platonically, but I liked her. The truck had suffered only minimal damage in the accident. I'd had to replace the taillights, and if I'd had a real paint job, I would have touched that up. Tyler's parents had to sell their van for parts.

Alia was waiting for me at my truck.

"Hey, gorgeous," I called. She looked stunned for a second then retorted with:

"Hi, handsome,"

Ok, I hard-core blushed at that. I had never been called 'handsome' before by anyone who didn't know about my past. It made me feel good to know that Alia though I was an attractive man. I knew that I'd have to tell her my secret eventually, but right now I was experiencing the opposite of gender dysphoria: gender euphoria!

"Holy smokes!" Alia giggled, "You should see how red your face is!" She was so cute as she laughed. "You should know that you'll get a compliment if you give one!"

"I've never been called handsome before," I said.

"Well," Alia said, "I've never been called gorgeous before."

"That's outrageous!" I said without thinking. This sent us into a fit of giggles. After it passed, we looked at each other.

"What do you have planned for tonight?" Alia asked. This was the first time she'd asked me this.

"I'm in charge of dinner at home," I started, "So my plan was to go home, make dinner and get some homework done. You?" I leaned forward when she talked to show I was interested.

"He cooks too?" She said with her eyebrows raised, "But, it sounds like you're busy." She looked down. "Bummer." I felt a jolt of excitement as I realized that she wanted to start hanging out with me outside of school.

"I'm not free tonight," I said encouragingly, "But if you want to hang out some other time, give me a heads up and I'll let my dad know."

"Cool beans," Alia chimed, "As long as it's before the twenty-second." I felt a pang in my chest.

"Wait, is the dance on March 20th?" I asked.

"Y-yeah?"

Crap. That was the same day as my endocrinologist appointment. The appointment was so I could get to know my new endocrinologist and get a new prescription for testosterone. I had set it up in Seattle, so it'd be far enough away from Forks that no one could find out about it. It was a four-hour drive there and back, making a total of eight hours of driving. It'd be a full day event. Worse still, I hadn't told my dad about it; I didn't want him to tell anyone about it.

"Jack?"

"I'm so sorry," I said, "I'm going to be out of town on that day. I forgot about it." Alia looked slightly confused.

"I have a doctor's appointment in Seattle," I explained. I felt bad for letting Alia down too. But, she didn't seem upset.

"Oh, that's ok. We can still hang out." She said.

"Even if I'm not your date?"

"Sure, you still asked me," she winked, "The thought of dancing with me made you forget about everything else in your life. That's kind of flattering." I couldn't help but laugh at that. My laugh was cut short by a low growl.

Edward was walking past the front of my truck, looking straight forward, his lips pressed together. Alia and I stared at him as he sauntered towards his car, two spaces down. He slid it out smoothly in front of us to wait for his family. This irritated me; I could feel my face form a scowl.

"Can we hang out tomorrow?" Alia asked, she suddenly sounded timid. I looked at her. She was glancing to and away from Edwards car nervously. Does she have a crush on Edward? I thought. That was unfair to her and insecure of me, but I still felt a hot boil of emotion.

"I'll ask my dad," I said. The moment of fun from before had morphed into a moment of aggressive awkwardness. "Then I'll tell you tomorrow." Alia nodded and slowly walked to her car.

When I got home, I decided to make black bean enchiladas for dinner. It was a long process, and it would keep me busy. While I was simmering the onions and chilies, I got a text.

It was Teddy. Apparently, Kate had caught him after school to accept his invitation. I texted "congrats, man" to him, then returned to stirring. Teddy was "bummed" to learn that I wasn't going to the dance anymore. He texted that I should've told him sooner so that he could've asked Alia out instead of Kate. I think he was joking.

After we stopped texting, I tried to concentrate on dinner. But my head was spinning, trying to analyze all of Alia's actions today. What did they mean? Over the last few weeks, I'd gotten to know her bit, I didn't really know much about her. Who were her parents? What was her relationship to Edward? He seemed to bring out a completely different side to her just by being near her.

My stomach twisted as I realized a possibility. What if he was her ex? If that was the case, did she still have feelings towards him? And worse, was I the rebound guy?

Of course, that'd be the case. The first girl I really like doesn't really like me back, I thought angrily, my eyes stinging — a delayed reaction to the onions. I couldn't blame her. I didn't even know what I was at this point. I was a mess and she… was interesting… and clever… and mysterious… and beautiful… and possibly in love with Edward Cullen. Grr! Was there no part of my life that guy could ruin?

Charlie seemed suspicious when he came home and smelled the green peppers. I couldn't blame him — the closest edible Mexican food was probably in southern California. But he was a cop, even if just a small-town cop, so he was brave enough to take the first bite. He seemed to like it. It was fun to watch as he slowly began trusting me in the kitchen.

"Dad?" I asked when he was almost done.

"Yeah, Jack?"

"Um, I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to Seattle for the day a week from Saturday… if that's okay?" I didn't want to ask permission — it set a bad precedent — but I felt rude, so I tacked it on at the end.

"Why?" He sounded surprised as if he were unable to imagine something that Forks couldn't offer.

"Well, I have a doctor's appointment."

Charlie looked startled.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I said, "It's just a check-up."

"Why is it so far away?" He asked.

"Because it's personal," I said pointedly. He looked at me and then realized what I was talking about. He looked down at his plate.

"That truck probably doesn't get very good gas mileage," he said.

"I know, I'll stop in Montesano and Olympia — and Tacoma if I have to."

"Are you going all by yourself?" he asked, and I couldn't tell if he was worried about my safety or about car trouble.

"Yes."

"Seattle is a big city — you could get lost," he fretted.

"Dad, It's ok. I've done my research; I know where it is and – if all else fails – I got Google Maps, don't worry about it."

"Do you want me to come with you?"

I tried and failed to hide my horror.

"Dad, they'll need to examine my body…" I was lying. The appointment was for paperwork and blood tests.

"Oh, okay." That thought immediately put him off.

"Thanks." I grimaced.

"Will you be back in time for the dance?"

Only a caring father would know when the high school dances were for his child.

"No — I won't, Dad." I smiled sadly, "Even if I do, I know I'll be too tired to dance."

He nodded. "Oh, that's all right," he muttered.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. During that time, I debated with myself whether I should meet up with Alia or not. On one hand, a part of me was very excited to see what Alia would be like outside the school setting. On the other, a part of me was terrified that she really did have feelings for Edward and that her friendliness towards me was no genuine. I eventually decided that my relationship with Alia wasn't really at a point where I could expect her to hang out with me exclusively.

So, after I had finished the dishes, I said, "I'm hanging out with Alia tomorrow. You'll need to do dinner tomorrow night."

He nodded, and that was that.


	7. Blood Type

The next morning, I woke up with an odd twinge in my gut. I didn't feel sick, so I shrugged it off and went to school. When I pulled into the parking lot, I deliberately parked as far as possible from the silver Volvo. Getting out of the cab, I fumbled with my key, and it fell into a puddle at my feet. As I bent to get it, a white hand flashed out and grabbed it before I could. I jerked upright. Edward Cullen was right next to me, leaning casually against my truck.

"What do you want?" I growled.

"I want to ask you something." He held out my key as he spoke. I snatched it quickly out of his hand.

"No," I said harshly. "After what you did and said to me, I don't owe you anything."

"I'm sorry." His voice was quiet.

I looked up at him, once again wary. His eyes were light again today. I glanced away.

"For what?" I said.

"I don't know what your history is regarding poisonous people but," he struggled to continue. "I don't want to be one of them."

"Why did you act like that?" I asked. He looked at me curiously. "The first time we met. You were so… mad at me."

"I wasn't mad." He stated.

My palms tingled — I wanted so badly to hit something. I was surprised at myself. I was usually a nonviolent person. I turned my back and started to walk away.

"Wait," he called. I kept walking, sloshing angrily through the rain. But he was next to me, easily keeping pace.

"I'm sorry, that came out wrong," he said as we walked. I ignored him. "I am telling the truth." He continued, "I was mad, but not at you."

"Why won't you leave me alone?" I grumbled.

"I wanted to ask you something, but you sidetracked me," he chuckled.

"What is your deal?" I asked severely.

"You're doing it again."

I sighed. "Fine then. What do you want to ask?"

"I was wondering if, a week from Saturday — you know, the day of the spring dance —"

"What the **** man?" I interrupted him, wheeling toward him. "Are you trying to be funny?"

His eyes flickered with amusement. "Will you please allow me to finish?"

I bit my lip, crossed my arms and leaned away from him.

"I heard you say you were going to Seattle that day, and I was wondering if you wanted a ride."

That was unexpected.

"What?" I asked, stunned.

"Do you want a ride to Seattle?"

"With you?" I asked, mystified.

"Yes, obviously." He enunciated every syllable. I purposely looked away.

"No. Thank you." I started to walk again, but I was too surprised to maintain the same level of anger.

"But can your truck make it there on one tank of gas?" He matched my pace again.

"I don't see how that is any of your business." Why was he suddenly trying to be my friend?

"The wasting of finite resources is everyone's business." Maybe I thought too soon.

"Nice, Edward," I muttered. "And here I thought you were trying to be my friend. Guess you nipped that in the bud."

"Ok, I'm sorry I said that."

"No, you're not," I rolled my eyes, "You're just annoyed with my response." I realized I had stopped walking again. We were under the shelter of the cafeteria roof now; we weren't being rained on. Edward looked dumbfounded; liked I'd slapped him in the face.

"Wow. I know I said that It would be better if we weren't friends," he said breathlessly. "But I'm tired of trying to stay away from you, Jack. You're just too interesting."

This made me feel very awkward. Careful, man. I heard he's gay. Teddy's words echoed in my head. Was I wrong about this whole situation with Edward; did he have a crush on me?

"Will you go with me to Seattle?" he asked, still intense. I had to stick to my guns on this one.

"No." I said, "And that's final."

I turned quickly and walked towards my English class.

My head was such a buzz that I didn't even realize that class had already started.

"Thank you for joining us, Mr. LeFleche," Mr. Mason said in a disparaging tone.

I flushed and hurried to my seat.

It wasn't till class ended that I realized Alia wasn't sitting in her usual seat next to me. I felt a twinge of panic. In fact, Alia wasn't at school at all. This concerned me. Had I scared her away? Kate met me at the door as usual, but even she seemed solemn. However, she seemed to become more herself as we walked, gaining enthusiasm as she talked about the weather report for this weekend. The rain was supposed to take a minor break, and so maybe our beach trip would be possible. I tried to sound eager, to make up for disappointing her yesterday.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur. It was difficult to believe how much could change in a morning. I felt that I no longer had any anger towards Edward. I realized that he was lost in the world like the rest of us. Not in a dramatically lousy way, just that he had things going on in his life that affected his behavior. I began actually to feel bad for ditching him this morning.

So, I was impatient and nervous as my friends, and I entered the cafeteria. I wanted to see his face, to see if he'd gone back to the cold, indifferent person I'd known for the last several weeks. Or if I'd really heard what I thought I'd heard this morning. Kate babbled on and on about her dance plans. She was completely unaware of my inattention.

Surprise and curiosity flooded through me as my eyes unerringly focused on his table. The other four were there, but he was absent. Had he gone home? I followed the still-babbling Kate through the line. I suddenly lost my appetite — I bought nothing but a bottle of lemonade. I just wanted to go sit down and sulk.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you again," Teddy said, finally breaking through my abstraction. "I wonder why he's sitting alone today."

My head snapped up. I followed his gaze to see Edward, smiling crookedly, staring at me from an empty table across the cafeteria from where he usually sat. Once he'd caught my eye, he raised one hand and motioned with his index finger for me to join him. As I stared in disbelief, he winked.

"Does he mean you?" Kate asked with astonishment in her voice.

"Maybe he needs help with his Biology homework," I muttered for her benefit.

"Yo. Careful, man!" Teddy exclaimed.

"Um, I'd better go see what he wants." Curiosity was getting the better of me.

I could feel them staring after me as I walked away.

When I reached his table, I stood behind the chair across from him, unsure.

"Yo," I said.

"Why don't you sit with me today?" he asked, smiling.

I sat down, watching him with caution. He was still smiling. I looked around, avoiding his gaze.

He seemed to be waiting for me to say something.

"What up, man?" I finally managed, channeling as much Teddy as I could for some reason.

"Well…" He paused, and then the rest of the words followed in a rush. "I decided as long as I was going to hell, I might as well do it thoroughly."

I waited for him to say something that made sense. The seconds ticked by.

"Cool, cool. No idea what you mean," I eventually pointed out.

"I know." He smiled again, and then he changed the subject. "I think your friends are angry with me for stealing you."

"They're just curious." I could feel their stares boring into my back.

"I may not give you back, though," he said with a wicked glint in his eyes.

I gulped.

He laughed. "You look worried."

"No," I said, but, ridiculously, my voice broke. "Surprised, actually… what brought all this on?"

"I told you — I got tired of trying to stay away from you. So, I'm giving up." He was still smiling, but his ocher eyes were serious.

"Cool." I said, "On what?"

"I'm giving up trying to be good. I'm just going to do what I want now and let the chips fall where they may." His smile faded as he explained, and a hard edge crept into his voice. I felt a twinge in my side again, it was worse than this morning. I tried to ignore it.

"Sure thing, buddy."

He smiled.

"I always say too much when I'm talking to you — that's one of the problems."

"It's ok, I don't understand any of it," I said.

"I'm counting on that."

"I see. So… we cool?"

"Cool…" he mused, dubious. I tried to rub my side inconspicuously.

He grinned. "Well, we can try, I suppose. But I'm warning you now that I'm not a good friend for you."

Behind his smile, the warning was real.

"Ok, So, I should go then?" I noted, trying to ignore the sudden trembling in my stomach and keep my voice even.

"Yes, if you're smart, you'll avoid me."

"So, I'm not smart by sitting here? Nice." I wasn't really listening anymore. The pain was getting pretty bad. Oh dang, I hope I didn't need to fart. That'd be embarrassing.

"We're both not smart."

I looked down at my hand wrapped around the lemonade bottle, not sure what to do now.

"What are you thinking?" he asked curiously.

I looked up into his deep gold eyes. I did not want to tell him that I was pretty sure I was holding in the world's most massive fart.

"I'm trying to figure out what you are."

His jaw tightened, but he kept his smile in place with some effort.

"Are you having any luck with that?" he asked in an offhand tone.

"Not too much," I admitted.

He chuckled. "What are your theories?"

Huh? What did he mean by that?

"Won't you tell me?" he asked, tilting his head to one side with a timid smile.

I shook my head.

"That's really frustrating, you know," he complained.

"No," I disagreed quickly, my eyes narrowing, "I can't imagine why that would be frustrating at all — just because someone refuses to tell you what they're thinking, even if all the while they're making cryptic little remarks specifically designed to keep you super confused… now, why would that be frustrating?"

He grimaced.

"Or better," I continued, the pent-up annoyance flowing freely now, "say that person also did a wide range of bizarre things — from saving your life under impossible circumstances one day to treating you like trash the next, and he never explained any of that, either, even after he promised. That, also, would be very non-frustrating."

"You've got a bit of a temper, don't you?"

"I don't like double standards."

We stared at each other, unsmiling.

He glanced over my shoulder, and then, unexpectedly, he snickered.

"What?"

"Your friend seems to think I'm being unpleasant to you — he's debating whether or not to come and encourage a fight." He snickered again.

"Teddy's not like that," I said frostily. "I'm sure you're wrong." I was once again lying. That is totally something Teddy would do.

"I'm not. I told you, most people are easy to read."

"Except me, of course."

"Yes. Except for you." His mood shifted suddenly; his eyes turned brooding. "I wonder why that is."

I had to look away from the intimidation of his stare. I concentrated on unscrewing the lid of my lemonade. I took a swig, staring at the table without seeing it.

"Aren't you hungry?" he asked, distracted.

"No." I didn't feel like mentioning that my stomach was already full — of butterflies. What? Why? "You?" I looked at the empty table in front of him.

"No, I'm not hungry." I didn't understand his expression — it looked like he was enjoying some private joke.

"Can you do me a favor?" I asked after a second of hesitation.

He was suddenly wary. "That depends on what you want."

"It's not much," I assured him.

He waited, guarded but curious.

"Warn me beforehand the next time you decide to become a total asshole towards me for my own good. Just so I'm prepared." I looked him right in the eyes as I spoke.

"That sounds fair." He was pressing his lips together to keep from laughing.

"Thanks."

"Then can I have one answer in return?" he demanded.

"One."

"Tell me one theory."

Huh? "A theory on what?"

"On how I saved you," he said like he was reminding me.

"Is that what you thought I meant when I said I was trying to figure out what you were?" I retorted. His face puckered into confusion.

"What did you mean, then?"

"You'll laugh." I was positive about that.

He looked down and then glanced up at me through his long black lashes, his ocher eyes scorching.

"Please?" he breathed, leaning toward me. "I promise I won't laugh." His eyes still smoldered at me.

"Um, well, are you gay?"

He blinked. He was totally not prepared for that question. "What?"

"Yes or no question, dude," I said.

"You want to know which way I swing?" he teased.

"I told you you'd laugh!"

"I'm not laughing."

"Yes, you are! I'm looking at your face!"

He was laughing for real now, and so was I.

"Jack-ass," I said.

"I want to know what you think I am," he chuckled.

"I don't know," I confessed.

He struggled to compose his face.

"Don't laugh, man!" I said restraining another chuckle of my own.

"How do you think I saved you?" He was serious again.

"Excuse me?" I said. I didn't want to disappoint him, but I'd kind of stopped caring about that after I told him to never speak to me again. He stared at me so pleadingly, I decided to answer the question.

"According to you, you and I were standing together by my truck, and you yanked me out of the way like a superhero."

"What if I'm not a superhero? What if I'm the bad guy?" He smiled playfully, but his eyes were impenetrable.

"Oh," I said. This whole stream of thought was really hitting out of left field. "I see."

"Do you?" His face was abruptly severe as if he were afraid that he'd accidentally said too much.

"Yup." I said, getting up, "You're an anti-hero like Venom or Deadpool or… that… guy from the comics." I had to use the bathroom. I had to get out quickly.

"Where are you going?" His voice was almost panicked. He looked up at me.

"Yeah, I got to use it." I began to walk away. "See you in Bio."

"I'm not going to class today," he said, getting up also.

"Why not?"

"It's healthy to ditch class now and then." He smiled up at me, but his eyes were still troubled.

"K. Good for you," I told him. Then I rushed off.

"I'll see you later, then." I heard him call after me.

It turned out that I didn't have to use the washroom, but my stomach cramps were getting worse. Since I'd already told Charlie he'd need to find his own dinner and Alia wasn't at school, I decided to go to class anyway and sleep it off at home.

I was lucky; Mr. Banner wasn't in the room yet when I arrived. I settled quickly into my seat, aware that Kate and Miranda were staring at me. Kate looked resentful; Miranda looked surprised, but pleasantly so.

Mr. Banner came in the room then, calling the class to order. He was juggling a few small cardboard boxes in his arms. He put them down on Kate's table, telling her to start passing them around the class.

"Okay, guys, I want you all to take one piece from each box," he said as he produced a pair of rubber gloves from the pocket of his lab jacket and pulled them on. The sharp twinge in my side gave way to an awkward lurch into my stomach. "The first should be an indicator card," he went on, grabbing a white card with four squares marked on it and displaying it. He continued to talk and hold things up as my stomach flipped.

He was saying something as he grabbed Kate's hand and jabbed a tiny spike into the tip of her middle finger. I couldn't focus on that because I suddenly realized what the pains in my sides meant. Oh no. It had been over three years since I'd last felt this, which was why I didn't recognize the symptoms. For the first time in three years, it had reared its ugly head again: My Period.

Mr. Banner demonstrated something involving squeezing Kate's finger. I swallowed convulsively, my stomach heaving. I closed my eyes and pressed my legs together. I was paralyzed. The thought of this happening in a crowded room was literally the stuff of nightmares. Through the ringing in my ears I heard:

"The Red Cross is having a blood drive in Port Angeles next weekend, so I thought you should all know your blood type." He sounded proud of himself. "Those of you who aren't eighteen yet will need a parent's permission — I have slips at my desk."

I put my cheek against the cold black tabletop and tried to hold on to my consciousness. All around me I could hear squeals, complaints, and giggles as my classmates skewered their fingers. I breathed slowly in and out through my mouth. I tried to raise my hand.

"Jack, are you all right?" Mr. Banner asked. His voice was close to my head, and it sounded alarmed.

"I'm bleeding, Mr. Banner," I said in a weak voice. I was afraid to raise my head. "I need to go to the nurse's office."

"What? You haven't even pricked your finger yet."

"I need to go to the nurse's office NOW!" I shouted, initiating immediate silence and drawing the attention of the entire class.

"Can someone take Jack to the nurse, please?" he called.

I didn't have to look up to know that it would be Kate who volunteered.

"Not her." I hissed. She knew me too well.

"Miranda, would you please?" Mr. Banner asked, "Can you walk?"

"Yes," I whispered. Just let me get out of here, I thought. I'll crawl.

Miranda gently put her arm around my waist and pulled my arm over her shoulder. I leaned against her heavily on the way out of the classroom. I grimaced as I heard the students all whispering behind me. I really hoped I hadn't bled through my pants yet.

Miranda towed me slowly across campus. When we were around the edge of the cafeteria, Miranda staggered. I guessed that I was pretty heavy for her to have to support my full weight.

"Do you need to rest?" I asked.

"No, I'm fine," Miranda said nervously.

"Jack?" a different voice called from a distance.

No! Please let me be imagining that horribly familiar voice.

"What's wrong — is he hurt?" His voice was closer now, and he sounded upset. I wasn't imagining it. I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping to die. Or, at the very least, not to bleed through my pants. Please let me not bleed through the pants!

Miranda seemed stressed. "I think he's fainted. I don't know what happened, he didn't even stick his finger."

"Jack." Edward's voice was right beside me, relieved now. "Can you hear me?"

"No," I groaned. "**** off."

He sucked in his breath liked he'd been gut-punched.

"I was taking him to the nurse," Miranda explained.

"I'll take him," Edward said. I could hear the strain in his voice. "You can go back to class."

"But," Miranda protested. "I'm supposed to do it."

Suddenly my feet were swept from beneath me. My eyes flew open in shock. Edward had scooped me up in his arms, as easily as if I weighed ten pounds instead of a hundred and twenty.

"Put me down!" Please, please let me not bleed on him. He was walking before I was finished talking.

"Hey!" Miranda called, already ten paces behind us.

Edward ignored her.

"Please don't tell anyone," I begged. The rocking movement of his walk was not helping. He held me away from his body, gingerly, supporting all my weight with just his arms — it didn't seem to bother him.

"I won't tell anyone," he said. "I promise."

"You're promises don't mean anything!" I bawled. God, now I was crying in front of him. There were no tears, but it was still embarrassing. He didn't answer. I closed my eyes again and held my legs as close as they could get. I held them so tight my entire frame shivered.

"I will keep this promise," he said earnestly, "I will not tell anyone."

I don't know how he opened the door while carrying me, but it was suddenly warm, so I knew we were inside.

"Oh my," I heard a female voice gasp.

"He needs your help," Edward explained.

I opened my eyes. I was in the office, and Edward was striding past the front counter toward the nurse's door. Ms. Cope, the redheaded front office receptionist, ran ahead of him to hold it open. The grandmotherly nurse looked up from a novel, astonished, as Edward swung me into the room and placed me gently on the crackly paper that covered the brown vinyl mattress on the one cot. Then he moved to stand against the wall as far across the narrow room as possible. He pulled out earbuds from his pocket, put them in his ears and closed his eyes.

"What seems to be the problem?" The nurse asked. I looked away.

"I need a sanitary pad," I said.

"Excuse me?" She said.

"I'm on my - - - " I choked on the last word. "my period."

"I see." The nurse said.

She provided me with the pad, and I went into the nurse's bathroom. I had soiled my underpants and my jeans. The underpants were destroyed but, my jeans weren't too bad. I still didn't want to wear them. Even this small stain was more than I could bear. I peeked my head out the door.

"Do you have a spare pair of pants I could borrow?" I asked meekly. The nurse looked at me sadly. I knew the answer would be no.

"I have a spare pair," Edward said. His eyes were still closed, and he hadn't moved.

"I'm not going to ask why." I said, "Can I please borrow them?"

He sprung to life. He left the office quickly and very soon returned with a clean pair of jeans. He gave them to the nurse and returned to his corner and closed his eyes again. I put them on in the bathroom, stuffed my old pair in the garbage and shamefully left the bathroom.

"Hey," I said to the nurse, "could you please keep this to yourself?"

"Yes." She said.

Now that I wasn't in panic mode I could see that I had successfully avoided bleeding on Edward. That was a relief. 

I went and sat on the cot. I couldn't go back to class.


	8. The Little Red Jetta

"You can go back to class now," the nurse told Edward.

"I'm supposed to stay with him." He said this with such assured authority that — even though she pursed her lips — the nurse didn't argue it further.

"It's ok, Edward." I said, "You can go. Thank you for the pants." I didn't want him here anymore. He straightened up a little and looked at me. It looked like he was trying to come up with something to say.

"Please go." I urged. He gave me a look of concern but, then he flashed to the exit and was gone. I sighed, able to finally relax. As the nurse and I sat in silence, I began to formulate a plan for the rest of the day. I had cushioned my underpants with enough toilet paper to protect Edward's pants. I knew I'd have to stop by a store to pick up more pads for later. I was definitely going to have to tell my new endocrinologist about this. It was very concerning.

I was so tired, I didn't know if I had the energy to go to a store and then home. I realized that I could postpone my trip to the store until tomorrow.

"Excuse me." I quietly said to the nurse. "Do you think I could have a few pads for tonight?" I felt the need to justify why I needed them. "I won't have time to hit up a store today." She nodded and gave me some. I stuffed them into my pockets.

"Do you need to be excused for the rest of the day?" she asked.

"Yes, please," I said. The nurse nodded and picked up her phone. I got off the cot but, before I could leave Mrs. Cope stuck her head in.

"We've got another one." She warned.

And then Kate staggered through the door supporting a sallow looking Leo Stephens, another boy in our class. I drew back against the wall to give them room. Kate glared at me which kept me anchored while she helped Leo. After Leo was set up on the cot with a cold compress on his forehead, Kate came up to me.

"You look better," she accused. I looked away. I retroactively realizing that with the stunt I pulled, people probably thought I was dying.

"I'm not." I said truthfully, "I'm going home now."

"You're not coming back to class?"

"No."

She looked worried. "Are you still coming to the beach this weekend?"

"Yes." I said, "I should be better by then." Kate brightened up at that.

"Great!" She did a little bounce on her toes. " We're all meeting at my dad's shop at ten!"

"Yeah, I'll be-"

"Jack?" someone called.

Kate and I turned to the door to see who it was, though I already knew. Alia stood at the door looking… exhausted; more tired than I felt.

"Alia?" I said. Kate shifted her gaze between us.

"Jack are you ok?" Alia asked, "I got a text from Teddy saying that you were, quote, bleeding to death in the nurse's office." I grimaced, and my face felt hot. I wonder what sort of rumors were spreading about me.

"Jack is fine, Alia," Kate said condescendingly. Alia didn't notice or didn't care about Kate's tone. She rushed up to me.

"Miranda said you guys were doing the blood type thing," Alia explained, "and I know that Edward is -" She cut herself off. "Was he in class today?"

I bit my lip. Jealousy flared up inside of me. At that very moment, the door slammed shut. Kate had left in frustration.

"No." I said, trying to keep my voice even, "He was skipping."

"Oh." Alia looked away, surprised. "Ok." She looked up at me and held my gaze for a moment. Then she leaned forward and touched my face with her hand. My breath caught. What was she doing? My heart pounded in my ears.

"You look pale." She noted. "Can you please let me drive you home?"

I don't know, should I?

"Yes."

She smiled, relieved. I held the door for her, she smiled sadly at me as we walked out into the cold, fine mist that had just begun to fall. It felt nice as it washed my face clean of the sticky perspiration.

"Thank you." She said as I followed her out.

"Sure."

I followed her to her car, a cute little red Jetta. It suited her. She unlocked it and looked at me as I got in. She sat in the driver's seat and sagged. She looked defeated. I looked out the window, feeling awkward. She fiddled with the controls, turning the heater up and turning the music down. She told me I'd have to direct her to my house. I relaxed against the soft chairs and watched the town flash by, only speaking up to tell her when to turn. We listened to quite a few songs before my will power crumbled. I know it was petty of me but, I really wanted to know how she felt towards Edward.

"Did you and Edward have a thing?" I asked.

She glanced over at me with the weird expression on her face.

"Where'd that come from?" She asked back.

"I just wanted to know." I looked away to hide my inevitably dorky facial expression. She giggled. I peeked back at her.

"No," She said, "I actually don't like Edward that much. He gives me the creeps."

It took a moment for what she said to sink in, I couldn't help but let out a chuckle. I suddenly felt so silly. All that worry for nothing! I really wasn't the rebound guy. But, if she wasn't interested in him, why was she so fixated on him? She was looking straight ahead now, she hadn't giggled along with me. There was a sadness in her eyes. Something serious was bothering her.

"Are you ok?" I asked, "You seem… distracted." She glanced at me and sighed. She stayed silent. For a moment I thought she was going to leave my question unanswered. I'd be ok with that if she did.

"My aunt passed away last night." She said. Oh dear.

"Alia, I'm so sorry."

"It's ok Jack. It's not your fault." The way she said it implied that it was definitely someone's fault.

"Is that why you were absent this morning?" I asked.

"Yes." She took a deep breath, "Enough about me, what about you?" She tried to put on a happy expression, but sadness permeated through it.

"I uh, well… what do you want to know?" I stammered.

"What's your family like?" She asked, "I mean I know your parents aren't together, but what are they like?"

Oh, wow. That's a loaded question.

"Well," I started, "My mom's pretty outgoing, even more than I am, and braver. She's irresponsible and slightly eccentric, and she's a very unpredictable cook. She's one of my closest friends, though she can be pretty shady when she wants to be."

"Shady?" Alia peeped, "How so?"

I didn't really want to get into that.

"She can be stubborn." I left it at that. Alia picked up on my reluctance to go on.

"So why did your mother marry Phil?"

I was surprised she remembered the name. I'd mentioned him in passing a total of two times in our random conversations over that past two months. It took me a moment to answer.

"My mother… she's very young for her age. I think Phil makes her feel even younger. At any rate, she's crazy about him." I shook my head. The attraction was a mystery to me.

"Sounds nice." she mused.

"Yeah," I said. "I want her to be happy… and he is who she wants."

"You're really sweet," Alia said.

"You think?"

"Yeah"

"Oh, Turn right here." I pointed out my window.

"Oops!" Alia pumped the brakes and quickly turned right. Yikes! I only now registered that we had been driving pretty fast. I held on to the hook over the door as the car almost tipped over. She made the turn without flipping the car but, I still gripped the handle. She peeked up me.

"What?" she said innocently.

"Who taught you how to drive?" I exclaimed. Alia laughed.

"My dad. He's kind of nuts."

I spent the rest of the trip getting her to my house. Once she pulled up to my house, we just sat there. I turned and looked at her. She looked at me and smiled.

"Thanks for talking to me." She said. I smiled back.

"Thanks for getting me home without killing me."

She playfully hit my arm.

"Next time give me a bigger heads up!" she giggled. Her face fell, and she looked out her window. I leaned towards her.

"Alia?" I said, "Are you… ok?"

"Hey," Alia said, "I just realized we left your truck behind."

Oh… We did. How was I going to get to school tomorrow?

"I can't hang out tonight." She said, "Would you mind if I picked you up tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Sure."

She smiled. "See you tomorrow, Handsome."


	9. La Push

That night, Charlie was curious about where my truck was. But, we didn't get much time to talk about it. I spent the rest of the night in bed, and by morning he'd already left for work. I strategically rationed my "resources," took a Tylenol and got ready for school. Just as I was beginning to worry if Alia and I would be late for class today, I heard a car horn honk from outside. Alia arrived at around the time I would usually leave. She was standing by her car when I came out.

"Hey there Handsome." She said sweetly. She looked better rested than yesterday but, she was still a little disheveled.

"Hey, there Gorgeous," I called back as I locked my front door.

"Ugh." She said playfully, "I don't feel gorgeous."

"You're always gorgeous," I said. She smiled and got back into her car. I buckled myself in the passenger seat. We talked on the way to school, between the directions I gave her. We didn't talk about anything serious. We talked about movies we liked, songs we misheard the lyrics to; it was very relaxing. By the time we got to school, I felt relatively normal again.

School was milder than I was expecting. I found this very reassuring. Teddy was concerned about me since he didn't get to see me yesterday evening.

"Dude!" He exclaimed as soon as he saw me, "Are you ok?" Alia rushed off to her locker.

"Yeah," I said sheepishly, "I'm good now."

"My boy, Eric, told me that his sister had to drag you to the nurse's office," Teddy explained. "She said that you pricked your finger and started bleeding to death!"

"That is a gross exaggeration!" I exclaimed, "I opened an old wound, and it started bleeding." I technically wasn't lying.

"Dang, that sucks," Teddy said. He suddenly looked shifty, and he looked behind him. "That Alia though." He said raising his eyebrows. "I saw you two coming in this morning. Did you stay over last night?" He bumped my shoulder with his elbow. "Do the old devil's tango?"

Devil's tango?! What sort of scoundrel did Teddy think I was? Although now that he put that thought in my head…

"Get your mind out of the gutter." I snickered," It was nothing like that. She drove me home and then to school."

"Yeah, she did," Teddy said.

During lunch, everyone was full of our plans for the next day. Kate was lively again, putting a great deal of trust in the local weatherman who promised sun tomorrow. Alia was enthusiastic as well, but the tiredness had returned. Sometimes she would rest her face in her hand and casually lean towards me. Teddy kept giving us the slyest of looks and nodding. This, no doubt, made my cheeks blush red.

I intercepted a few unfriendly glances from Kevin, another one of Teddy's friends, during lunch, which I didn't understand until we were all walking out of the room together. I was right behind him, just a foot from his faux-Mohawk, and he was evidently unaware of that.

"…don't know why Jack" — he sneered my name — "invited Alia to our table. She's such a weirdo."

I heard him muttering to Teddy. I'd never noticed what an unpleasant voice he had, and I was surprised by the malice in it. I really didn't know him well at all, certainly not well enough for him to dislike me — or so I'd thought. "They're my friends," Teddy whispered back loyally, "If you don't like it, you can sit somewhere else." I paused to let Kate and Miranda pass me. I didn't want to hear any more.

After I had returned from the store, I made dinner and waited for Charlie to come home. While we ate, Charlie seemed enthusiastic about my trip to La Push in the morning. I think he felt guilty for leaving me home alone on the weekends, but he'd spent too many years building his habits to break them now. Of course, Charlie knew the names of all the kids who were going, and their parents, and their great-grandparents, too, probably. He seemed to approve.

"Dad, what do you know about Alia's family?" I asked casually.

"Alia? – Do you know her last name?"

Right, he probably didn't know her nickname. "Her full name is Alexandria Vechter."

"Oh! Yeah, why?"

"I don't know much about her family."

"Well her father works for the government," he said, " so they move around a lot. They moved here about three years ago."

"What about her mom?" I asked.

He sighed. "her mother comes from a long line of doctors. She and her sister work as nurses at the hospital."

"Oh." I murmured. "Did the sister die?"

Charlie looked at me surprised, "How do you know about that?"

"A-Alia told me?" I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret.

"Oh." He looked away conspicuously. What wasn't he telling me?

I meant to sleep in, but an unusual brightness woke me. I opened my eyes to see a bright yellow light streaming through my window. I couldn't believe it. I went to the window to check, and sure enough, there was the sun. Clouds ringed the horizon, but a large patch of blue was visible in the middle. I lingered by the window, admiring the blue sky that I had missed from Arizona.

The Newtons' Olympic Outfitters store was just north of town. I'd seen the store, but I'd never stopped there — not having much need for any supplies required for being outdoors over an extended period. In the parking lot, I recognized Kate's Suburban and Alia's Jetta. As I pulled up next to their vehicles, I could see the group standing around in front of the Suburban. Miranda was there, along with two other boys I had class with; I was reasonably sure their names were Ben and Conner. Teddy was there, flanked by Eric and Kevin. A couple of other boys stood with them; I remembered the one who fell over in Gym on Friday. He gave me a dirty look as I got out of the truck and nudged Kevin with his elbow then gestured towards me with his chin. Kevin turned his head slightly and eyed me scornfully.

What was his problem?

At least Alia was happy to see me. As she rushed up to me, she was cut off by Kate.

"You came!" Kate called, delighted. "And I said it would be sunny today, didn't I?"

"I promised I would come," I said, casually edging towards Alia.

"We're just waiting on Leo and Silvia," Kate added. She frowned as she noticed that I had positioned myself next to Alia.

"Are you going to ride with me?" Alia asked quietly.

"Only if you don't drive like a mad-man." I retorted.

Alia smiled. She looked shy again. I looked up and saw that Kate had moved towards the group. She was glowering at us. I hid my chagrin. It wasn't really possible to make Alia and Kate happy at the same time, was it?

The numbers worked out sort of funny, though. Leo brought two extra people, and suddenly every seat was necessary. I managed to wedge myself in between Alia and Teddy in the back seat of the Suburban. Kate wasn't too happy about this, but I wasn't in the mood to deal with her passive aggressiveness today.

It was only fifteen miles to La Push from Forks, with gorgeous, dense green forests edging the road most of the way and the wide Quillayute River snaking beneath it twice. I was sad I didn't have a window seat. Alia sensed this and rolled the windows down — the Suburban was a bit claustrophobic with nine people in it — and I tried to absorb as much sunlight as possible.

I'd been to the beaches around La Push many times during my Forks summers with Charlie, so the mile-long crescent of First Beach was familiar to me. It was still breathtaking. The water was dark gray, even in the sunlight, white-capped, and heaving to the gray, rocky shore. Islands rose out of the steel harbor waters with sheer cliff sides, reaching to uneven summits, and crowned with austere, soaring firs. The beach had only a thin border of actual sand at the water's edge, after which it grew into millions of large, smooth stones that looked uniformly gray from a distance, but close up were every shade a rock could be: terra-cotta, sea green, lavender, blue gray, dull gold. The tide line was strewn with huge driftwood trees, bleached bone white in the salt waves, some piled together against the edge of the forest fringe, some lying solitary, just out of reach of the waves.

There was a brisk wind coming off the waves, cool and briny. Pelicans floated on the swells while seagulls and a lone eagle wheeled above them. The clouds still circled the sky, threatening to invade at any moment, but for now, the sun shone bravely in its halo of blue sky.

We picked our way down to the beach, Kate leading the way to a ring of driftwood logs that had obviously been used for parties like ours before. There was a fire circle already in place, filled with black ashes. Eric and the boy I thought was named Ben gathered broken branches of driftwood from the drier piles against the forest edge, and soon had a teepee-shaped construction built atop the old cinders.

"Hey, ever seen a driftwood fire?" Teddy asked me. I was sitting on one of the bone-colored benches next to Alia. The others clustered on either side of us, chatting excitedly. Teddy kneeled by the fire, lighting one of the smaller sticks with a cigarette lighter.

"No," I said as he placed the blazing twig carefully against the teepee.

"You'll like this then — watch the colors." He lit another small branch and laid it alongside the first. The flames started to lick quickly up the dry wood.

"It's blue," I said in surprise.

"Pretty cool, yeah?" He lit one more piece, placed it where the fire hadn't yet caught, and then came to sit by Alia and me.

"I wonder why?" I mused to myself.

"It's the salt," Alia said quietly. I glanced at her. She'd been pretty quiet up until now. "It has copper chloride in it."

"That's really interesting." I noted, "How do you know that?"

"My aunt was really into that sort of stuff."

After a half hour of chatter, some of the boys wanted to hike to the nearby tidal pools. It was a dilemma. On the one hand, I loved the tide pools. They had fascinated me since I was a child; they were one of the only things I ever looked forward to when I had to come to Forks. On the other hand, I really wanted to stay next to Alia.

Alia ended up erasing the decision. She said that she was tired of sitting around and wanted to try some hiking. She wasn't wearing the right shoes for it, but she didn't care.

The hike wasn't too long, though I hated to lose the sky in the woods. The green light of the forest was strangely at odds with the adolescent laughter, too murky and ominous to be in harmony with the light banter around us. Alia had to watch each step she took very carefully, avoiding roots below and branches above. I matched her pace, and we soon fell behind. Eventually, we broke through the emerald confines of the forest and found the rocky shore again. It was low tide, and a tidal river flowed past us on its way to the sea. Along with its pebbled banks, shallow pools that never completely drained were teeming with life.

I was very cautious not to lean too far over the little ocean ponds. I wasn't in a position to get my pants wet. Alia and the others were fearless, leaping over the rocks, perching precariously on the edges. I found a very stable-looking rock on the fringe of one of the largest pools and sat there cautiously. I watched everyone as they had fun. I looked down after a bit and observed the natural aquarium below me. The bouquets of brilliant anemones undulated ceaselessly in the invisible current, twisted shells scurried about the edges, obscuring the crabs within them, starfish stuck motionless to the rocks and each other, while one small black eel with white racing stripes wove through the bright green weeds, waiting for the sea to return. Alia joined me after a while, and we sat there, silently absorbed.

Finally, the boys were hungry, and Alia and I got up stiffly to follow them back. We fell behind again but, this time we talked idly about aquatic life. Alia was so full of random facts, it really showed that she came from a family obsessed with biology. I silently wished that we were in the same Bio class.

When we got back to First Beach, the group we'd left behind had multiplied. As we got closer, we could see the shining, straight black hair and copper skin of the newcomers, teenagers from the reservation come to socialize.

The food was already being passed around, and the boys hurried to claim a share while Eric introduced us as we each entered the driftwood circle. Alia and I were the last to arrive, and, as Eric said our names, I noticed a younger boy sitting on the stones near the fire glance up at me in interest. I sat down next to Miranda, and Teddy brought us sandwiches and an array of sodas to choose from, while a boy who looked to be the oldest of the visitors rattled off the names of the seven others with him. All I caught was that one of the girls was named Jessica, and the boy who noticed me was named Jacob.

During lunch the clouds started to advance, slinking across the blue sky, darting in front of the sun momentarily, casting long shadows across the beach, and blackening the waves. As they finished eating, people started to drift away in twos and threes. Some walked down to the edge of the waves, trying to skip rocks across the uneven surface. Others were gathering a second expedition to the tide pools. Kate headed up to the one shop in the village. Some of the local kids went with her; others went along on the hike. By the time they all had scattered, Alia and I were sitting on our driftwood log, occupying ourselves with the CD player someone had thought to bring, and three teenagers from the reservation perched around the circle, including the boy named Jacob and the oldest boy who had acted as spokesperson.

A few minutes after, Alia left to find a bathroom, Jacob sauntered over to take her place by my side. He looked fourteen, maybe fifteen, and had long, glossy black hair pulled back with a rubber band at the nape of his neck. He had russet-colored skin, and his eyes were dark, set deep above the high planes of his cheekbones. He still had just a hint of childish roundness left around his chin.

"Do I know you?"

"Jack," I said. "And, I don't think so…?"

"I'm Jacob Black." He held his hand out in a friendly gesture. "You bought my dad's truck."

"Oh," I said, shaking his hand. "You're Billy's son. I'm sorry. I probably should remember you."

"No, I'm the youngest of the family — you would remember my older sisters."

"Rachel and Rebecca," I suddenly recalled. Charlie and Billy had thrown us together a lot during my visits, to keep us busy while they fished. We were all too shy to make much progress as friends.

"Are they here?" I examined the girls at the ocean's edge, wondering if I would recognize them now.

"No." Jacob shook his head. "Rachel got a scholarship to Washington State, and Rebecca married a Samoan surfer — she lives in Hawaii now."

"Married. Wow." I was stunned. The twins were only a little over a year older than I was.

"So how do you like the truck?" he asked.

"I love it. It runs great."

"Yeah, but it's really slow," he laughed. "I was so relieved when Charlie bought it. My dad wouldn't let me work on building another car when we had a perfectly good vehicle right there."

"It's not that slow," I objected.

"Have you tried to go over sixty?"

"No," I admitted.

"Good. Don't." He grinned.

I snorted. "It does great in a collision," I offered in my truck's defense.

"I don't think a tank could take out that old monster," he agreed with another laugh.

"So, you build cars?" I asked.

"When I have free time and parts. You?" he added jokingly.

"Sorry," I laughed, "I don't have that sort of free time."

He flashed a brilliant smile, looking at me appreciatively in the way that I recognized. Did he still perceive me as female? I frowned and leaned forward a bit.

"Uh, I'm a boy now."

Jacob snorted and broke into a loud laugh.

"Is Jack bothering you?" a voice asked — in what I felt was a surprisingly insolent tone — from across the fire. Jacob and I turned to the voice. It was Kate, back from the store.

"We've sort of known each other since I was born," he laughed, smiling at me again.

"That's nice." She didn't sound like she thought it was nice at all, and her eyes narrowed.

"Jack," She called again, "I was just saying to Tyler that it was too bad none of the Cullens could come out today. Didn't anyone think to invite them?" What was that supposed to mean? I mean, where did that come from? This was so unlike her.

"You mean Dr. Carlisle Cullen's family?" the tall, older boy asked before I could respond, much to Kate's irritation. He was really closer to a man than a boy, and his voice was very deep.

"Yes, do you know them?" she asked condescendingly, turning halfway toward him.

"The Cullens don't come here," he said in a tone that closed the subject, ignoring her question.

I stared at the deep-voiced boy, taken aback, but he was looking away toward the dark forest behind us. He'd said that the Cullens didn't come here, but his tone had implied something more — that they weren't allowed; they were prohibited. His manner left a strange impression on me, and I tried to ignore it without success.

"What'd I miss?" Alia chirped which caused me to flinch. I hadn't heard her approach. Apparently, neither had Jacob. He turned, surprised also.

"Not much," Jacob said. "Hi. I'm Jacob. Jack and I knew each other growing up."

"That's so cool!" She exclaimed, "I'll bet he was a real handful."

"Haha!" Jacob laughed.

Kate seemed to have engaged with the older boy. I let her leave my mind as I turned over the brief comment on the Cullens.

"What did that guy say about the doctor's family?" I interrupted. Alia stopped halfway through her sentence and stared at me.

"The Cullens? Oh, they're not supposed to come onto the reservation." Jacob looked away, out toward the beach.

"Why not?" I asked.

"Oops!" Jacob looked embarrassed. "I'm not supposed to talk about that."

"Huh. Ok." I said, letting it go.

"Why can't you talk about it?" Alia asked.

"Well," Jacob was hesitant, "Charlie got upset with my dad last time this topic came up."

"You can tell us." Alia sounded impatient. "We won't tell anyone." This wasn't like her.

"Alia?" I tried to calm her down. She kept her gaze on Jacob, and he became a little flustered under her glare.

"Uh…" Jacob looked intimidated.

"Hey," I said cheerily, "We're here to have fun, right?" Alia deflated a little.

"Oh." She muttered, "Yeah." She looked became very sad. Jacob caved to his guilt.

"All I can say is that it's a truce we have." He said, "Their part of the deal is that they stay off our lands."

This seemed to light a fire in Alia's eyes. It got me thinking though; what was up between Jacob, Alia, and Edward?


	10. Truth in Texts

I had a difficult time sleeping that night. When I actually got to sleep, it wasn't very restful, and eventually, my cramps woke up again. I looked at my clock. It was 1:00 am. Yikes. I lay in bed for a bit. I'd given up on going back to sleep for now. Out of boredom, I grabbed my phone to play a new game app I had. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I had a text message from Alia.

\- Hey. You up?

It was time-stamped at 12:50. I wondered if she was still up.

\+ Yeah, I'm up. What up?

I waited. She must have gone to sleep. It was pretty late. Ten minutes is a long time in the middle of the night. I wonder - - -

\- …

She was writing back! I got a thrill from it. Texting late at night, isn't that what boyfriends and girlfriends did?

\- Sorry for texting so late.

\+ That's alright. I was up anyways. What are you doing up so late?

\- Can't sleep. Got a lot on my mind.

I remembered yesterday, how she'd given Jacob the nth degree. She seemed to have a lot on her mind then too.

\+ Does it have something to do with what you and Jacob were talking about yesterday?

\- A little.

\+ Do you want to fill me in on what's going on?

\- Yes. But I can't.

\+ Why not?

\- You'd think I was crazy.

Why would she think that? Surely we knew each other better than that.

\+ Try me.

\- …

\- …

She started typing and then stopped, then wrote again. I felt a little nervous. What could she want to tell me that was so bad?

\+ What do you want to tell me?

\- …

\- All sorts of stuff.

I suddenly remembered when I asked her to be my date for the Spring Dance. She'd said that she would tell her date all about people shaped dents in cars. She'd said she would talk about "all sorts of stuff."

\+ Like people shaped dents in cars?

\- …

\- Yeah. Something like that.

She went silent for a bit. I didn't want her to feel pressured.

\+ If you're not ready to talk about it, that's ok.

\- I always thought there was something off with the Cullens. But I wasn't suspicious until Edward saved you. And yesterday, Jacob all but confirmed it for me.

\+ Suspicious? About what?

\- I haven't told my parents about this yet. I'm not sure they'd understand.

She stopped for a bit.

\- But, I'm scared for you, Jack. He seems so… into you.

Wait, who was she talking about? Edward or Jacob?

\+ Huh?! Edward?

\- Hear me out Jack.

\+ What?

\- I think Edward and his family are … Vampires.

I was at a loss for words. Vampires were just monsters from movies and books. They weren't real. Was Alia being silly? Was she making fun of me?

\+ Haha. That's funny. Be serious.

\- I told you you'd think I was crazy.

\- :(

Crap, I screwed up.

\+ Wait, are you telling the truth?

Nothing.

\+ Hello?

\+ Alia?

Nothing. She'd left. I hope I didn't tick her off. But, seriously, vampires? But then again, that would explain a few odd things I'd noticed about Edward. His anger towards me the first week we'd met, the way he didn't eat any lunch when I was with him, his ability to take on a truck and do more damage to it than the other way around, the way he and his family moved so quickly and gracefully and the fact that he'd skipped class during the blood type exercise.

Though, there was a hiccup in this logic; one thing that I remembered from the small number of scary movies that I'd seen is that vampires couldn't come out in the daytime, the sun would burn them to a cinder. They slept in coffins all day and came out only at night.

I dragged myself out of bed and grabbed my bathroom bag. The shower didn't last nearly as long as I hoped it would, though. With a towel wrapped around my waist, I crossed back to my room. I couldn't tell if Charlie was still asleep, or if he had already left. I went to look out my window, and the cruiser was gone. Fishing again.

I dressed slowly in my most comfy sweats and then made my bed. I had to get out of the house, but there was nowhere I wanted to go that didn't involve a three-day drive. I pulled on my boots anyway, unclear where I was headed, and went downstairs. I shrugged into my raincoat without checking the weather and stomped out the door.

It was overcast, but not raining yet. I ignored my truck and started east on foot, angling across Charlie's yard toward the ever-encroaching forest. It didn't take long till I was deep enough for the house and the road to be invisible, for the only sound to be the squish of the damp earth under my feet and the sudden cries of the jays.

There was a thin ribbon of a trail that led through the forest here; it snaked around the Sitka spruces and the hemlocks, the yews, and the maples. I only vaguely knew the names of the trees around me, and all I knew was due to Charlie pointing them out to me from the cruiser window in earlier days. There were many I didn't know, and others I couldn't be sure about because they were so covered in green parasites.

I followed the trail as long as my anger at myself pushed me forward. As that started to ebb, I slowed. A few drops of moisture trickled down from the canopy above me, but I couldn't be certain if it was beginning to rain or if it was simply pools left over from yesterday, held high in the leaves above me. A recently fallen tree — I knew it was recent because it wasn't entirely carpeted in moss — rested against the trunk of one of her sisters, creating a sheltered little bench just a few safe feet off the trail. I stepped over the ferns and sat carefully, making sure my jacket was between the damp seat and my clothes wherever they touched, and leaned my hooded head back against the living tree.

Now that there was no longer the sound of my soggy footsteps, the silence was piercing. The birds were quiet, too, the drops increasing in frequency, so it must be raining above. The ferns stood higher than my head, now that I was seated, and I knew someone could walk by on the path, three feet away, and not see me.

Here in the trees, it was much easier to think about what Alia had texted me. Nothing had changed in this forest for thousands of years, and all the myths and legends of a hundred different lands seemed much more likely in this green haze than they had in my clear-cut bedroom.

I forced myself to focus on the two most vital questions I had to answer.

First, I had to decide if it was possible that what Alia had said about the Cullens could be true. Immediately my mind responded with a resounding 'no way!'. It was silly to entertain such ridiculous notions. But what, then? I asked myself. There was no rational explanation for how I was alive at this moment. I listed again in my head the things I'd observed myself; the speed, the grace, the eyes that shifted colors.

Could the Cullens be vampires?

Well, they were something. Something outside the possibility of the rational justification that was taking place in front of my incredulous eyes. It became more real to me that Edward Cullen was not… human.

So then — maybe. That would have to be my answer for now.

And then the most important question of all. What was I going to do if it was true?

If Edward was a vampire — I could hardly make myself think the words — then what should I do? What was Alia's part in all this? Was she a vampire too? How much did she know and should I ask her more about this?

Only two options seemed practical. The first was that Alia was insane; that she needed medical or, at the very least, psychological help. I could call her parents or tell the school counselor. I felt scummy just thinking that.

The other option was that Alia was right and Edward really was a vampire. If this was the case, what could I do? After all, if he was something… sinister, he'd done nothing to hurt me, or anyone, so far. In fact, I would be a dent in Tyler's fender if he hadn't acted so quickly. So quickly, I argued with myself, that it might have been sheer reflexes. But if it was a reflex to save lives, how bad could he be? My thoughts spun around in answerless circles.

There was one thing I was sure of. I wanted to keep Alia safe. Somehow she had found out about Edward and his possible vampire family. She could be in danger now, and I knew that I wanted to protect her. When I thought of her, of her voice, the quirkiness of her personality, the sadness in her eyes, I wanted nothing more than to be with her right now; to comfort her. Even if… but I couldn't think about it. Not here, alone in the darkening forest. Not while the rain made it dim as twilight under the canopy and pattered like footsteps across the matted earthen floor. I shivered and rose quickly from my place of concealment.

It was just noon when I got back inside. I went upstairs and got dressed for the day, jeans and a t-shirt since I was staying indoors. I decided to concentrate on the paper about Macbeth that was due Wednesday. I settled into outlining a rough draft. I was just doing this to distract myself but, it worked. I became determined to complete this paper. It made me feel better about the choice I had made.

That had always been my way, though. Making decisions was the painful part for me, the part I agonized over. But once the decision was made, I merely followed through — usually with relief that the choice was made. Sometimes the relief was tainted by concern. But it was still better than wrestling with the alternatives.

I had made my decision. I believed Alia.

And so, the day was quiet, productive — I finished my paper before eight. Charlie came home with a tremendous catch and was disappointed to learn that I considered fish meat.

I felt chills run up my spine as I thought of the implications that came with believing that Edward was a vampire.


	11. Girls, Am I Right?

I slept dreamlessly that night, exhausted from beginning my day so early, and sleeping so poorly the night before. I woke, for the second time since arriving in Forks, to the bright yellow light of a sunny day. I went to the window, happy to see that there was hardly a cloud in the sky, and those there were just fleecy little white puffs that couldn't possibly be carrying any rain. I opened the window — surprised when it opened silently, without sticking, not having opened it in who knows how many years — and sucked in the relatively dry air. It was nearly warm and hardly windy at all.

I felt this was a good omen. I was going to apologize to Alia and tell her that I believed her. My blood was electric in my veins.

Charlie was finishing breakfast when I came downstairs with my usual Monday limp, and he picked up on my mood immediately.

"Nice day out," he commented.

"Yes," I agreed with a grin.

He smiled back, his brown eyes crinkling around the edges. When Charlie smiled, it was easier to see why he and my mother had jumped too quickly into an early marriage. I usually tried to avoid thinking of my father's previous romantic ventures. But, when he smiled, I could see a little of the man who had run away with Renée when she was just two years older than I was now.

I ate breakfast cheerily, watching the dust moats stirring in the sunlight that streamed in the back window. Charlie called out a goodbye, and I heard the cruiser pull away from the house. I folded my raincoat over my arm, just in case it started raining, and stepped out into the brightest light I'd seen in months.

With a little bit of elbow grease, I was able to get both windows in the truck almost completely rolled down. I was one of the first ones to school; I hadn't even checked the time in my hurry to get outside. I parked and headed toward the seldom-used picnic benches on the south side of the cafeteria. The benches were still a little damp, so I sat on my coat, glad to have a use for it. Most of my homework was done, but there were a few Trig problems I wasn't sure I had right. I took out my book carefully, but halfway through rechecking the first problem my train of thought drifted, I sketched inattentively along the margins of my homework. After a few minutes, I suddenly realized I'd drawn five sketches of vampire's teeth on my page. I scrubbed them out with the eraser.

"Jack." A quiet voice said it sounded like Kate.

I looked around to realize that the school had become populated while I'd been sitting there, absentminded. Everyone was in t-shirts, some even in shorts though the temperature couldn't be over sixty. Kate was standing next to me in jean shorts and a black tank top.

"Hey, Kate," I said, my tone matching my mood.

She came to sit by me, the loose curls of her hair shining golden in the light, she smiled sweetly.

"Great day, isn't it?"

"My kind of day," I agreed.

"What did you do yesterday?" She sounded a bit too chipper.

"I mostly worked on my essay." I didn't add that I was finished with it — no need to sound smug.

She hit her forehead with the heel of her hand. "Oh yeah — that's due Thursday, right?"

"Um, Wednesday, I think."

"Wednesday?" She frowned. "That's not good… What are you writing yours on?"

"Whether Shakespeare's treatment of the female characters is misogynistic."

She stared at me like I'd just spoken in pig Latin.

"Well, aren't you full of surprises," she said, her expression turned grim. "Um, Jack?"

"Yes?"

"How do you feel about me?"

"I think you're nice," I said without thinking.

"No," She shook her head slowly, "I said, 'how do you feel about me?'"

I became confused at this. Weren't they the same thing? I had to think about this. I thought Kate was nice when she wanted to be, that she was loud and talkative, that she was attractive. But I wasn't sure how any of these attributes made me feel.

"Uh." I didn't know what to say to her. Why couldn't I ever have a pleasant conversation with Kate without it getting weird?

"It's nothing. Isn't it?" She deflated.

"Kate…" I didn't want her to start crying. "I don't feel nothing towards you. I like you. I like you a lot. We're friends."

She sniffed. "It's just not romantic, right?" she asked.

"Yeah," I said guiltily, "But, that doesn't mean we can't be friends."

She looked even more defeated at that.

"Can we be friends?" I asked, "Without all the passive aggressiveness?"

"Oh," she exhaled — looking a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, sure." I stood up, and she followed suit.

"It's time for class. Come on, I'll walk with you." I gathered my books up and stuffed them in my bag.

We walked in silence to building three, and her expression was distracted. I hoped whatever thoughts she was immersed in were leading her down a more peaceful path.

I intended to apologize to Alia when we met up before English for upsetting her on Saturday night. When we met, she cut me off with another train of thought entirely. She and Miranda were going dress shopping in Port Angeles tomorrow night, and she wanted me to come with. I wasn't sure why they had to go all the way to Port Angeles to shop for dresses. That was an hour drive away, and there were a couple of perfectly good dress shops right here in Forks. Just goes to show how much I knew about shopping for dresses. Apparently, Miranda wanted to shop at a specific store called 'Maurice'. Then it struck me that Alia was going dress shopping too. Was she going to the spring dance with someone else?

"Wait, I thought you weren't going," I commented to her.

"I'm not, but Miranda wants me to come with." Alia said, "She says I have an eye for color. And we'd both feel safer with a big strong man with us." She tilted her head towards me.

Oof. There was that gender euphoria again. Dang, that felt good.

"Alright," I grinned, "I'll come. I'll have to give my dad a heads up, but I'll come."

All throughout the day, I tried to bring up the text conversation we had Saturday night. And every time I did she'd immediately start talking about the dance. She didn't seem upset so, I didn't think she wasn't avoiding the subject because she was mad at me. But it was odd.

At lunch I finally caved. I sat away from our friends, at the same table Edward had invited me to days ago so that Alia and I could eat alone.

"Why are you avoiding my… you know. The texting thing?" I hadn't thought about how I was going to word that. Now that I was bringing it up I felt a little flustered. Alia flashed a look to the Cullens table. Edward and his family were there as usual. Suddenly Edward looked at us. Alia and I quickly looked away.

"I don't like talking about that stuff at school." She muttered quietly. She seemed to be concentrating really hard on something. I glanced at Edward again. He was still looking at us with a confused look on his face. I turned back to Alia.

"I got a song stuck in my head," She said abruptly, grinning.

"I - - Huh?" I was going to say that we were far enough away from the Cullens that they couldn't hear us talking.

"It's like…" She hummed the tune, "I don't know who sings it, but it's so catchy." She hummed it again and then it got stuck in my head. I chuckled and we both quietly sung the song together.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. I checked my e-mail when I got home, reading the backlog of letters from my mother, getting snippier as they progressed to the present. I guiltily typed a quick response.

Mom,

Sorry. I've been out. I went to the beach with some friends. And I had to write a paper. It's sunny outside today - I think you'd like it. I'm going to go out and soak up as much vitamin D as I can. I love you,

Jack.

I decided to kill an hour with non-school-related reading. I had a small collection of books that came with me to Forks. I selected one of my favorite books and headed to the backyard, grabbing a ragged old quilt from the linen cupboard at the top of the stairs on my way down.

Outside in Charlie's small, square yard, I folded the quilt in half and laid it out of the reach of the trees' shadows. I lay on my back, crossing my right ankle over my left leg, flipping through the book. After a while, my eyes grew very heavy, and I found myself nodding off.

The next thing I was conscious of was the sound of Charlie's cruiser turning onto the bricks of the driveway. I sat up in surprise, realizing the light was gone behind the trees, and I had fallen asleep. I looked around, muddled, with the sudden feeling that I wasn't alone.

"Charlie?" I asked. But I could hear his door slamming in front of the house.

I jumped up, foolishly edgy, gathering the now-damp quilt and my book. I ran inside to get some oil heating on the stove, realizing that dinner would be late. Charlie was hanging up his gun belt and stepping out of his boots when I came in.

"Sorry, Dad, dinner's not ready yet — I fell asleep outside." I stifled a yawn.

"Don't worry about it," he said. "I wanted to catch the score on the game, anyway."

I watched TV with Charlie after dinner, for something to do. There wasn't anything on I wanted to watch, so we watched baseball. He seemed happy to be doing something together. I quietly enjoyed our time together too.

"Dad," I said during a commercial, "Alia and Miranda are going to look at dresses for the dance tomorrow night in Port Angeles, and they wanted me to accompany them… do you mind if I go with them?"

"It's a school night, though." He pointed out.

"Yeah, I know." I explained, "We'll leave right after school so we can get back early. You'll be okay for dinner, right?"

"Jack, I fed myself for seventeen years before you got here," he reminded me.

"I don't know how you survived," I muttered, then added more clearly, "I'll leave some things for Caesar Salad in the fridge, okay?"

"You're going with Alia Vechter, right?" he asked.

"Yes."

"You seem to be spending a lot of time with her." He sounded… suspicious?

"Yeah." I said, suddenly nervous, "We're friends. I want to be there for her."

He became nervous as well. "Look. Son, –" he said it so casually! "When it comes to girls… you got to know that… well, that… uh… you and they will want to… uh…"

Oh no. He was trying to have 'the talk' with me.

"No, Dad!" I exclaimed, "You don't need to go over that stuff with me. I'm well… educated."

"Huh?"

"During my transition, I learned about Sex Ed for trans-people, cis-people, and ace-people. I'm good on that topic. You don't have to stress yourself out over it."

His face turned bright red.

"Um." He said, "I was going to talk about responsibility and not jumping into serious relationships too quickly but…" Well, I looked like a moron.

"Oh." I said, "Thanks."

"No problem."

We spent the rest of the night in awkward silence.

It was sunny again in the morning. I dressed for the warmer weather in a deep blue T-shirt. School was similar to yesterday — Alia and I talked about random stuff, though this time we sat with Teddy and his friends so, everyone was talking to each other. Kate seemed to be feeling better, and I tried to involve her in the conversations as much as I could. I would occasionally peek up at the Cullens table out of curiosity and found that Edward glanced up at me just as often.

After school, Alia followed me home in her little Jetta so that I could ditch my books and truck. I left a note for Charlie on the table, explaining again where to find dinner and ran out to join Alia. We went to Miranda's house next, and she was waiting for us. Her brother, Eric, and I gave each other mutual nods as she got in the Jetta. I let her ride shotgun, and we drove out of the town limits.


	12. Port Angeles

I guess Alia always drove fast, so we made it to Port Angeles by four. Along the way, we listened to rock songs while we rattled on about the upcoming dance. Miranda was going with a fellow named Andrew, and she was hoping that by Saturday night they would have progressed to the first-kiss stage. I smiled to myself, suddenly nervous. I found myself fixating on Alia's lips. The old devil's tango? Teddy's voice echoed in my thoughts. I patted my cheeks with my hands, embarrassed by my thoughts.

Port Angeles was a beautiful little tourist trap, more polished and quaint than Forks. Alia didn't know it well, and neither did I, so Miranda had to give Alia directions. We drove straight to the one big department store in town, which held the store we were going inside.

The dance was billed as semiformal, and we weren't exactly sure what that meant. Both Alia and Miranda seemed surprised when I told them I'd never been to a dance in Phoenix.

"Didn't you ever go with a girlfriend or something?" Miranda asked as we walked through the front doors of the store.

"Ah, well," I said, trying not to sound too pleased. "I've never had a girlfriend before."

"Why not?" Miranda asked.

"No one was interested in me," I answered honestly.

She looked skeptical. "People are interested in you out here." she reminded me, "Like Alia." We were in the juniors' section now, scanning the racks for dress-up clothes.

"And Edward," Alia added quietly. I looked at her. She had slowly gained back her bubbly disposition, but she seemed sad again.

"But, like…" I said. "Not romantically."

"I don't know." Miranda giggled, "He's always looking at you, and he asked you to eat lunch with him one on one that one time."

"He did what?" Alia gasped. She startled Miranda, who took a step away from her. Alia looked at me. "When did this happen?" she demanded.

"Uh, it was when I went to the nurse's office," I said.

"Yeah." Miranda said, "I helped you get there."

"The blood type thing?" Alia asked.

"Yeah." I said, "Why? What's wrong?"

"Did he say anything - - - ?" Alia stopped herself and looked at Miranda. "Strange?" I thought about it and… yeah, he did. He said he didn't want to stay away from me anymore, that he wasn't a good friend for me and also the odd miscommunication over theories on 'what' he was. I hadn't really pegged those comments as weird because, to be frank, Edward was strange.

"I think you'd look good in blue," Alia said. I looked up at her. She was talking to Miranda. The two of them had silently dropped the subject of Edward.

I could see why most guys didn't like dress shopping with their girlfriends. It was kind of boring. Both Alia and Miranda spent a lot of time trying on different dresses to see if they fit and also if they 'looked good on them.' I didn't really see what the big deal was. I sat on a low chair just inside the dressing room, by the three-way mirror, trying to contain my boredom.

Miranda was eventually torn between two dresses —a black one and a blue one. Alia encouraged her to go with the blue since it was her color. Alia tried on a pale pink dress because she liked feeling girlie. I complimented them both generously and helped by returning the rejects to their racks. The process was longer and more difficult than I had expected. I'd never been on a shopping trip like this before. My mom would take shopping trips to get away from me, and whenever I went shopping I usually had something in mind, found it and then left. I thought we were done once the dresses were bought but then we started heading over to shoes and accessories.

We had planned to go to dinner at a little Italian restaurant on the boardwalk, but the dress shopping had taken a lot out of me. I suggested that Alia and Miranda go take their clothes back to the car and then shop for shoes and accessories. Then, in a couple of hours, we could meet each other at the restaurant. I would wait the hours out at a bookstore. Alia objected, but I encouraged her to go have fun with Miranda — they didn't know how preoccupied I could get when surrounded by books; it was something I preferred to do alone.

"But, I won't be with you," Alia said sadly.

"Don't worry." I said, "I just need a little break from shopping. We'll be back together soon."

They reluctantly walked off to the car, and I headed in the direction Miranda pointed out.

I had no trouble finding the bookstore, but it wasn't what I was looking for. The windows were full of crystals, dream-catchers, and books about spiritual healing. I didn't even go inside. Through the glass, I could see a fifty-year-old woman with long, gray hair worn straight down her back, clad in a dress right out of the sixties, smiling welcomingly from behind the counter. I wasn't in the mood for any more conversation, so I waved and walked on. There had to be a traditional bookstore in town.

I meandered through the streets, which were filling up with end-of-the-workday traffic, and hoped I was headed toward downtown. I wasn't paying as much attention as I should to where I was going; I was wrestling with confusion. I was thinking about the whole situation with Alia and Edward and possibly Jacob. I knew I wanted to tell Alia that I believed what she said about Edward and his family being vampires. But thinking on it now, I found myself skeptical.

I walked along in a southerly direction, toward some glass-fronted shops that looked promising. But when I got to them, they were just a repair shop and a vacant space. I still had too much time to go looking for Alia and Miranda yet, and I definitely needed to more time to myself before my mood would be good enough to interact with them. I ran my fingers through my hair a couple of times and took some deep breaths before I continued around the corner.

I started to realize, as I crossed another road, that I was going the wrong direction. The little foot traffic I had seen was going north, and it looked like the buildings here were mostly warehouses. I decided to turn east at the next corner, and then loop around after a few blocks and try my luck on a different street on my way back to the boardwalk.

A group of four men turned around the corner I was heading for, dressed too casually to be heading home from the office, but they were too grimy to be tourists. As they approached me, I realized they weren't too many years older than I was. They were joking loudly among themselves, laughing raucously and punching each other's arms. I scooted as far to the inside of the sidewalk as I could to give them room, walking swiftly, looking past them to the corner.

"Hey, there!" one of them called as they passed, and he had to be talking to me since no one else was around. I glanced up automatically. Two of them had paused, the other two were slowing. The closest, a heavyset, dark-haired man in his early twenties, seemed to be the one who had spoken. He was wearing a flannel shirt open over a dirty t-shirt, cut-off jeans, and sandals. He took half a step toward me.

"Yo," I mumbled a knee-jerk reaction. Then I quickly looked away and walked faster toward the corner. I could hear them laughing at full volume behind me.

"Hey, wait!" one of them called after me again, but I kept my head down and rounded the corner. I could still hear them chortling behind me.

I found myself on a sidewalk leading past the backs of several somber-colored warehouses, each with large bay doors for unloading trucks, padlocked for the night. The south side of the street had no sidewalk, only a chain-link fence topped with barbed wire protecting some kind of engine parts storage yard. I'd wandered far past the part of Port Angeles that I, as a guest, was intended to see. It was getting dark, I realized, the clouds finally returning, piling up on the western horizon, creating an early sunset. The eastern sky was still clear, but graying, shot through with streaks of pink and orange. I'd left my jacket in the car, and a sudden shiver made me cross my arms tightly across my chest. A single van passed me, and then the road was empty.

The sky suddenly darkened further, and, as I looked over my shoulder to glare at the offending cloud, I realized with a shock that two men were walking quietly twenty feet behind me. They were from the same group I'd passed at the corner, though neither was the dark one who'd spoken to me. I turned my head forward at once, quickening my pace. A chill that had nothing to do with the weather made me shiver again. I didn't have much money with me, just a twenty and some ones, and I thought about "accidentally" dropping my wallet and walking away. But I had too much other stuff in the wallet to just give to a bunch of thieves.

I listened intently to their quiet footsteps, which were much too quiet. It didn't sound like they were speeding up, or getting any closer to me. Breathe, I had to remind myself. You don't know they're following you. I continued to walk as quickly as I could without actually running, focusing on the right-hand turn that was only a few yards away from me now. I could hear them, staying as far back as they'd been before. A blue car turned onto the street from the south and drove quickly past me. I thought of jumping out in front of it, but I hesitated, unsure that I was really being pursued, and then it was too late.

I reached the corner, but a swift glance revealed that it was only a blind drive to the back of another building. I was half-turned in anticipation; I had to hurriedly correct and dash across the narrow drive, back to the sidewalk. The street ended at the next corner, where there was a stop sign.

The footfalls were definitely farther back. I risked a quick glance over my shoulder, and they were maybe forty feet back now. But they were both staring at me.

It seemed to take forever for me to get to the corner. I kept my pace steady, the men behind me falling ever so slightly farther behind with every step. I saw two cars going north past the intersection I was heading for, and I exhaled in relief. There would be more people around once I got off this deserted street. I darted around the corner and skidded to a stop.

The street was lined on both sides by blank, doorless, windowless walls. I could see in the distance, two intersections down, streetlamps, cars, and more pedestrians, but they were all too far away. Because lounging against the western building, midway down the street, were the other two men from the group, both watching with smiles as I froze dead on the sidewalk. I realized then that I wasn't being followed.

I was being herded.

I paused for only a second, but it felt like a very long time. I knew I was going to have to fight them. The footsteps behind me were louder now.

"There you are!" The booming voice of the stocky, dark-haired man shattered the intense quiet. In the gathering darkness, it seemed like he was looking past me.

"Yeah," a voice called loudly from behind me. I glanced in that direction. I wanted to show them that I wasn't scared.

"We just took a little detour."

I turned to face them. The thickset man shrugged away from the wall and walked slowly into the street.

"Stay away from me," I warned in my huskiest voice that was supposed to sound strong and fearless.

"Or what?" he called, and the loud laughter started again behind me.

I braced myself, feet apart, trying to remember through my panic what little self-defense I knew. Four against one; the odds weren't that good, but I wasn't going out without taking someone with me.

"That wasn't a suggestion." I snarled. The man who'd spoken approached me. When he got close enough to me, I took a swing at him and caught him in the jaw.

"What the…?" He staggered backward. A few of his buddies hurried up to give him support but, he held up a hand; stopping them. He looked at me with an eerie smile on his face.

"You punch like a girl." He sneered.

I shivered.

Headlights suddenly flew around the corner, the car almost hitting the stocky one, forcing him to jump back toward the sidewalk. I dashed into the road — this car was going to stop or have to hit me. But the silver car unexpectedly fishtailed around, skidding to a stop with the passenger door open just a few feet from me.

"Get in," a furious voice commanded.


	13. Silver Volvo

"Get in," a furious voice commanded.

I instantly knew who it was as soon as I heard his voice. I had no idea how or why he was even here. But, I jumped into the passenger seat and slammed the door shut behind me.

It was dark in the car, no light had come on with the opening of the door, and I could barely see his face in the glow from the dashboard. The tires squealed as he spun around to face north, accelerating too quickly, swerving toward the stunned men on the street. I caught a glimpse of the men diving for the sidewalk as we straightened out and sped toward the harbor.

"Put on your seat belt," Edward commanded, and I realized I was clutching the seat with both hands. I quickly obeyed; the snap as the belt connected was loud in the darkness. He took a sharp left, racing forward, blowing through several stop signs without a pause.

"Dude!" I exclaimed through clenched teeth. This car ride was doing nothing to calm my nerves! I sat in terrified silence, watching his face while his blazing eyes stared straight ahead until the car came to a sudden stop. I glanced around, but it was too dark to see anything besides the vague outline of dark trees crowding the roadside. We weren't in town anymore.

I felt my heart slowly return to a normal pace; the adrenaline finally draining from my system. I stared ahead in muted relief. I glanced towards Edward and noticed that his expression was murderously angry.

"A-are you okay?" I asked, surprised at how hoarse my voice sounded.

"No," he said curtly, and his tone was livid.

More silence. I couldn't stand it.

"Thanks." My voice was still rough. "I think I'd have been done for."

"Jack." His voice was strained. It startled me.

"Y-yeah?"

"Are you all right?" He still didn't look at me, but the fury was still plain on his face.

"Yes," I croaked.

"Distract me, please," he ordered.

"I'm sorry, what?"

He exhaled sharply.

"Just talk about something unimportant until I calm down," he clarified, closing his eyes and pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Um." I wracked my brain for something trivial. "I can't really think of anything unimportant to talk about. But I want to ask you something that is important… to me."

He was still squeezing his eyes closed, but the corner of his mouth twitched.

"What?"

"What do you think about me… being… you know…?" I looked at him.

Edward smiled and finally opened his eyes.

"Really, I have a bigger problem with you being a vegetarian than with you being transgendered." That surprised me.

"What?" I exclaimed, "How do you even know that?"

"I heard Teddy talking about it." This confused me. Teddy hadn't brought up my eating habits since… the first time Edward had spoken to me. I sat wondering if Edward was lying to me again.

"I haven't told anyone," Edward said.

"You haven't?" I said, suddenly shy.

"It confuses me a bit," Edward continued, "But I kept my promise."

I waited, but he didn't speak again. He leaned his head back against the seat, staring at the ceiling of the car. His face was rigid.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

"Sometimes I have a problem with my temper, Jack." He was whispering, too, and as he stared out the window, his eyes narrowed into slits. "But it wouldn't be helpful for me to turn around and hunt down those…" He didn't finish his sentence, looking away, struggling for a moment to control his anger again. "At least," he continued, "that's what I'm trying to convince myself."

"I see." I didn't know what else to say.

We sat in silence again. I glanced at the clock on the dashboard. It was past six-thirty.

"Alia and Miranda will be worried," I murmured. "I was supposed to meet them."

He started the engine without another word, turning around smoothly and speeding back towards town. We were under the streetlights in no time at all, still going too fast, weaving with ease through the cars slowly cruising the boardwalk. He parallel-parked against the curb in a space I would have thought much too small for the Volvo, but he slid in effortlessly in one try. I looked out the window to see the lights of La Bella Italia, and Alia and Miranda waiting in front; Alia pacing anxiously.

"How did you know where… ?" I began, but then I heard the door open and turned to see him getting out.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I'm taking you to dinner." He smiled slightly, but his eyes were hard. He stepped out of the car and slammed the door. I hurried to get out of the car as well. He was walking towards the girls.

"Wait!" I called to him. He didn't listen to me, but it caught the attention of Alia and Miranda. Alia wheeled towards us. She seemed elated to hear my voice, and she started to run towards me but, she stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Edward. Her face suddenly startled.

"Where have you been?" Miranda sounded concerned.

"I got lost," I admitted sheepishly. "And then I ran into Edward." I gestured toward him.

"Would it be all right if I joined you?" he asked confidently. Miranda looked flustered but, Alia looked upset.

"Sure," Alia said. "That'd be great. Let's go in."

"Um, actually... we already ate while we were waiting — sorry," Miranda confessed. Alia shot Miranda a glare.

"I'm still hungry," Alia said pointedly. "Let's go in." Miranda looked at her with her eyebrows raised.

"But, you had so much." Miranda said, "What more can you fit in you?" Alia ignored her. She walked up and squared up in front of Edward.

"Come on, Jack." She said, "I'll treat you."

"I think Jack should eat with me." Edward's voice was low, but full of authority. He looked up at Miranda and spoke slightly louder. "Do you mind if I drive Jack home tonight? Otherwise, you'll have to wait while he eats."

"Alia, I need to go home," Miranda said. Alia and Edward turned to me; both were making it clear that they wanted my input. I thought about it. It was pretty late, and I felt guilty about ditching them.

"Well, I'm n- - - " Just as I was about to say I wasn't hungry my stomach rumbled. Alia looked defeated.

"It's settled then," Edward said with a smile. Alia looked at me then back to Edward.

"If you…" She choked on her words. Her conviction faltered, and she looked down.

"I promise I won't hurt him," Edward said. Alia looked up at him.

"I'll hold you to that." She grabbed Miranda's hand and pulled her toward the car, which I could see a little ways away, parked across First Street. As they got in, Alia turned and glared at us. I waved to them, waiting for them to drive away before I went into the restaurant.

I felt guilty for making them drive home on their own and for putting Edward out, but I was actually really hungry.

The restaurant wasn't crowded — it was the off-season in Port Angeles. The host was female, and I saw her eyes as she assessed Edward. She welcomed him a little more warmly than necessary. I was surprised by how much that bothered me. She was several inches taller than I was, which made me feel oddly insecure.

"A table for two?" Edward said. I saw her eyes flicker to me and then away, she seemed unsure of me. She led us to a table big enough for four in the center of the most crowded area of the dining floor.

I was about to sit, but Edward shook his head at me.

"Perhaps something more private?" he insisted quietly to the host. I wasn't sure, but it looked like he smoothly handed her a tip. I'd never seen anyone refuse a seat before.

"Sure." She sounded as surprised as I was. She turned and led us around a partition to a small ring of booths — all of them empty. "How's this?"

"Perfect." He flashed a smile, dazing her momentarily. I felt even more insecure. I never dazed ladies like that. Though, why would I want to? Why was being with Edward making me feel like this?

"Um" — she shook her head, blinking — "your server will be right out." She walked away unsteadily.

"Well, that was awkward," I muttered to myself.

"It was?"

"Forget it."

He seemed confused.

"You can tell me," He tilted his head to one side, and his eyes were curious. "Please?"

"You haven't noticed?" I asked, looking away, "The way you dazzle people like that?"

He smiled. "Do I dazzle you?"

"No," I admitted.

And then our server arrived, her face expectant. The hostess had definitely dished behind the scenes, and this new girl didn't look disappointed. She flipped a strand of short black hair behind one ear and smiled with warmth.

"Hello. My name is Amber, and I'll be your server tonight. What can I get you to drink?" I couldn't help but notice that she was speaking only to him.

He looked at me.

"I'll have tea," I muttered. "Mint tea."

"One peppermint tea, one water no ice," he said.

"I'll be right back with that," she assured him with another flirty smile. But he didn't see it. He was watching me.

"What?" I asked when she left.

His eyes stayed fixed on my face. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm fine," I replied, surprised by his intensity.

"You don't feel dizzy, sick, cold… ?"

"No, not really."

He chuckled. "Well, I'm actually waiting for you to go into shock." His face twisted up into a crooked smile.

"Oh," I said. "I think it takes more to get me to that point now."

"Really? You'll have to explain why. But before all that, I'll feel better when you have some water and food in you."

Right on cue, the waitress appeared with our drinks and a basket of breadsticks. She stood with her back to me as she placed them on the table.

"Are you ready to order?" she asked Edward.

"Jack?" he asked. She turned toward me and gave me a guilty shrug.

I picked the first thing I saw on the menu. "Um… I'll have the mushroom ravioli."

"And you?" She turned back to him with a smile.

"Nothing for me," he said. Hmm, not eating again.

"Let me know if you change your mind." The coy smile was still in place, but he wasn't looking at her, and she left dissatisfied.

"Drink," he ordered.

"Nah, bro." I said casually, "I like my tea brewed a little longer than three seconds."

"I mean the water."

I rolled my eyes but sipped the water anyway because I was actually really thirsty. We sat in silence as I slowly finished the water. Once I started on the tea Edward began to talk.

"Are you sure you're feeling fine? " he said, watching me. I felt my face scrunch as I assessed how I was doing. No, I'd been in shock before when I broke my ankle. I really was fine right now.

He pushed the bread basket toward me.

"Really, I'm fine," I said.

"You shouldn't be — a normal person would be. You don't even look shaken." He seemed unsettled. He stared into my eyes, and I saw how light his eyes were, lighter than I'd ever seen them.

"I've had worse," I insisted.

That displeased him. He shook his head, frowning.

"What do you mean by that?" he murmured to himself.

I poured myself some tea and started sipping on it, measuring how much I should tell him.

"Alright." I said, "What do you want to know?" Edward's eyes shot up, and they looked at mine.

"Will you tell me the truth?" He asked.

"Only if you keep all this to yourself." I said, "I will kick your ass if you tell anyone."

Edward smiled. "Alright. What do you mean by 'I've had worse'? You mentioned this when we were at the hospital too." I leaned back with a smile.

"In regards to the hospital," I said, "a few months ago I had a major surgery. It was pretty intense and very traumatizing for my body. That's way worse than a little bump to the head."

"And today?"

"A few years back I fell while I was running down a hill and I broke my ankle," I lifted my right leg to show which ankle. "fractured my wrist," I gestured with my left hand, "and bruised a rib. I remember the shock I went into then, that's how I know I'm fine now."

He stared at me, stunned. "How on earth did you hurt yourself that badly by falling down a hill?" I didn't really want to tell him that I'd been ganged up on by my cousin and his group of friends.

"I was pretty reckless when I was a little boy." I sipped my tea, trying to look indifferent. Edward cocked his head to the side.

"But, if you're transgendered, doesn't that mean you were a little girl?"

I rolled my eyes. This was a typical misconception about transgender people.

"First off," I said matter-of-factly, "Transgender is an adjective, not a noun or a verb."

He nodded, "Alright. Sorry about that."

"Second," I continued, "I was never a girl. I was always a boy; like you. It's just that my body didn't match for some reason."

His brow furrowed. "Oh."

"Yeah." I nodded.

"You're - - -?" he started.

But then the waitress strode around the partition with my food. I realized we'd been unconsciously leaning toward each other across the table because we both straightened up as she approached. She set the dish in front of me — it looked pretty good — and turned quickly to Edward.

"Did you change your mind?" she asked. "Isn't there anything I can get you?" I sensed a little disappointment in her voice.

"No, thank you, but some more water would be nice." He gestured with a long white hand to the empty glass in front of him.

"Sure." She walked away. I blushed and looked away. Edward saw this and leaned forward.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I think she thinks we're a couple."

He looked in her direction then turned to me with a coy smile. "I don't really care about her."

"I can tell," I said, digging into my food.

"You can?" Edward asked. I nodded. The mushrooms were good. I swallowed and took another sip of my tea.

The waitress was back with a jug of water. She filled up the glass without a word this time and left again. He let me eat for a while.

"Who gaslighted you?" He sprung, his voice carrying some sadness. I looked up at him, startled by the question. That was really personal. Should I answer it?

"You were so mad at me when I lied to you at the hospital." He said; he looked regretful. "I'm still sorry about that."

He had just admitted to lying to me. I felt compelled to tell the truth.

"My mom," I said. "She didn't respond to my gender identity very well." I left it at that and moved on to him. "So, why are you in Port Angeles?"

He looked down, folding his large hands together slowly on the table. His eyes flickered up at me from under his lashes, the hint of a smirk on his face.

"I can't tell you."

"Aw come on," I objected, "I spilled my guts to you."

"Well," he seemed unsure.

"The same rules apply to me too." I said, "I won't tell anyone what you say." He looked uncomfortable. "You can trust me, you know."

"I don't know if I have a choice anymore." His voice was almost a whisper. "You're so much more observant than I gave you credit for."

"Um, thanks?" I said.

He shook his head. "The thing is, Jack, you seem to be a magnet for accidents, no… that's not a broad enough classification. You are a magnet for trouble. If there is anything dangerous within a ten-mile radius, it will invariably find you."

"And you put yourself into that category?" I guessed.

His face turned cold, expressionless. "Unequivocally." Suddenly, everything I'd been second-guessing seemed less absurd.

"Thank you." My voice was fervent with gratitude. "For apologizing."

His face softened. "I'll tell you more when we get to the car."

I shrugged. "I didn't know my question would break you. Your questions were way more personal." My statement seemed to bother him.

"I followed you to Port Angeles," he admitted, speaking in a rush. "I wanted to keep you safe." I blushed. Oh. Ooooh my. Teddy and Miranda were right. He did have a crush on me. What he just said; that was the same sentiment I felt towards Alia when I thought she was in danger.

"Oh… um," I just about choked on my food. "Edward!" My mouth was full.

"Just eat." He said, "We'll continue this conversation in the car."

"I- - -." Yeah, I had to focus on the food. "Sure."

He watched me eat in silence. He was so still; he almost looked carved out of stone. When I was done, he sat up.

"Are you ready to go?" he asked.

"Yup," I qualified. The waitress appeared as if she'd been called. Or watching.

"How are we doing?" she asked Edward.

"We're ready for the check, thank you." His voice was quiet. He looked up, waiting.

"S-sure," she stuttered. "Here you go." She pulled a small leather folder from the front pocket of her black apron and handed it to him.

"I got it," I said, fumbling around in my pocket for my wallet. Edward glanced at me and smirked. There was a bill in his hand already. He slipped it into the folder and handed it right back to her.

"No change." He smiled. Then he stood up. I put my hands up in mock surrender and got up too.

She smiled invitingly at us. "You have a nice evening."


	14. V-Vampires?

Once inside the car, he started the engine and turned the heater on high. Edward pulled out through the traffic, apparently without a glance, flipping around to head toward the freeway. I waited for him to say something, but he didn't. I had to break the silence.

"So, about that conversation?"

He sighed.

"What do you want to know?"

I decided to start mild. "Did you and Alia ever have a thing?" I know I already asked Alia this, but I wanted to see what Edward would say.

"What?!" His tone made me look to him. His face was incredulous. I smirked.

"She's so cold around you. I thought maybe you dumped her." Edward looked away.

"No." His tone was cold.

"She doesn't like you," I said. He smiled.

"Her family is… unique."

"Really?" I inquired, "How so?"

"That's up to her to tell you." He smirked at me. "Not me."

"Ok, fine. But do you know why she doesn't like you?" I asked.

"Yes." Huh, interesting.

"Why doesn't she like you?" I asked. I saw the tendons on his neck bulge.

"I think she's already told you." He said casually. I felt a pang in my chest as I realized there was no way he could've known that.

Really, I have a bigger problem with you being a vegetarian than with you being transgendered.

"How did you know I was a vegetarian?" I brought up out of the blue. Edward hesitated.

"I heard Teddy talking about it."

"Did Teddy tell you?" I asked. "Like, personally."

His lips twitched as he stared at the road. "No," he admitted.

"But then, the only way you know that is if… you could… read minds…" I trailed off. It suddenly made sense. How he knew which restaurant I was supposed to meet the girls at, that I was a vegetarian, that Alia had given up on the argument just before she left. That meant that he could hear my thoughts too. Oh boy, that's embarrassing. I felt my face go red. He really did know about me from the start.

"You're a vampire." I breathed disbelievingly. "You can read minds. That's how you knew about me being trans." I said unconsciously hiding my face with my hand.

"I actually didn't know about that," Edward admitted. "I didn't find out until last Friday." I looked at him, cautiously.

"Why? Can't you read my mind?"

"No, I can't," he murmured.

"Oh," I said, silently relieved.

"The only guess I have," Edward continued thoughtfully, "Is that maybe your mind doesn't work the same way everyone else's does. Like your thoughts are on the AM frequency, and I'm only getting FM." He grinned at me, suddenly amused. I tried to wrap my head around the fact that I was sitting next to a guy with mind-reading powers. I tried to stay casual.

"I'd think I was more of an FM guy," I said jokingly. He chuckled softly.

"So," I said awkwardly, "Can all vampires read minds?"

"Just a few." Edward explained, "Not really sure what causes it. Some of us read minds, some of us control minds, some of us have neither."

"Mind control?" I said skeptically. He looked at me pointedly. I raised my eyebrows and accepted what he said.

"Yes," Edward said. It was so weird to be having this conversation so casually. I mulled the whole thing over in my head. This brought up so many questions.

"Hey, man. Don't laugh — but how can you come out during the daytime?"

He laughed anyway. "Myth."

"So, you're not burned by the sun?"

"No. That's a myth."

"Do you sleep in a coffin?"

"Myth." He hesitated for a moment, and a peculiar tone entered his voice. "I can't sleep."

That surprised me. "At all?"

"Never," he said, his voice nearly inaudible. He turned to look at me with a wistful expression. The golden eyes locked on to mine until I looked away.

"You haven't asked me the most important question yet." His voice was hard now, and when I looked at him again, his eyes were cold.

I cringed. "Your diet?"

"Yes, that." His voice was bleak. "Don't you want to know if I drink blood?"

"Ok," I said. He was clearly leading me on. "Do you drink blood?"

"Yes, but we only hunt animals." We. He was talking about his family too. He turned to me, "Like dear, goats, rabbits…" My face twitched.

"Oh. Herbivores." I picked up on. "Vegetarians… like me."

We were both silent then. I watched the headlights twist with the curves of the road. They moved too fast; it didn't look real, it looked like a video game.

"Are you implying you want to eat me?" I asked hesitantly.

His voice was low. "I find that the blood of herbivores is…preferable to the blood of carnivores. Meat changes how you smell, and I sort of don't like it."

"But, eating animals is enough. Right?" I hoped.

He paused. "I can't be sure, of course, but I'd compare it to living on tofu and soy milk; we call ourselves vegetarians, our little inside joke."

"So, we're both vegetarians." I joked. He smiled.

"It doesn't completely satiate the hunger — or rather thirst. But it keeps us strong enough to resist. Most of the time." His tone turned ominous. "Sometimes it's more difficult than others."

"Is it very difficult for you now?" I asked.

He sighed. "Yes."

I leaned away from him. This was the real explanation as to why he acted so weird when we first met. I suddenly felt very foolish. I'd literally jumped into a car with a guy who wanted to kill me. What if he was taking me off somewhere to murder me? It was so dark outside, how would I ever know?

"What are you thinking?" Edward was looking at me.

"Um…" I felt myself blushing. "Please don't kill me?" He turned to me quickly.

"Jack." He said carefully, "I would never hurt you." He looked at me with such ferocity. I gulped.

"Ok, man." I said, "You should really keep your eyes on the… Holy Cow!"

"What's wrong?" He was startled. But the car didn't decelerate.

"You're going a hundred miles an hour!" I exclaimed. I shot a panicky glance out the window, but it was too dark to see much. The road was only visible in the long patch of bluish brightness from the headlights. The forest along both sides of the road was like a black wall — as hard as a wall of steel if we veered off the road at this speed.

"Relax, Jack." He rolled his eyes, still not slowing.

"You drive faster than Alia does!" I exclaimed.

"We're not going to crash."

I tried to modulate my voice. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

"I always drive like this." He turned to smile crookedly at me.

"Edward!"

"I've never been in an accident, Jack; I've got vampire reflexes. And I've never gotten a ticket." He grinned and tapped his forehead. "Built-in radar detector."

"Vampire or not!" I fumed. "I'm still not comfortable! If you turn us into a Volvo pretzel around a tree trunk, you can probably just walk away."

"Probably," he agreed with a short, hard laugh. "But you can't." He sighed, and I watched with relief as the needle gradually drifted toward eighty. "Happy?"

"Barely."

"I hate driving slow," he muttered.

"You'll live," I muttered. He grumbled. I looked out the window, thinking over what we talked about in the restaurant. I remembered how uncomfortable he was when I asked him what he was doing in Port Angeles.

"Did you use your mind-reading powers to find me tonight?"

"Yes." I turned to him.

"How?" I asked, "If you can't read me."

"I was keeping tabs on Miranda, not carefully and at first I didn't notice when you took off on your own. Then, when I realized that you weren't with her anymore, I went looking for you at the bookstore I saw in her head. I could tell that you hadn't gone in and that you'd gone south… and I knew you would have to turn around soon. So I was just waiting for you, randomly searching through the thoughts of people on the street — to see if anyone had noticed you so I would know where you were. I had no reason to be worried… but I was strangely anxious…I started to drive in circles, still… listening. The sun was finally setting, and I was about to get out and follow you on foot. And then —"

He stopped; he was clenching his teeth together in sudden fury. He made an effort to calm himself.

"I heard what they were thinking," he growled, his upper lip curling slightly back over his teeth. "They didn't read you right." His hands tightened around the steering wheel. I shivered.

"It was very… hard — you can't imagine how hard — for me to simply take you away and leave them… alive." His spat his words through his teeth. "I could have let you go with Alia and Miranda, but I was afraid if you left me alone, I would go looking for them," he admitted in a whisper.

Yeah, I had nothing to add to this. The darkness slipped by us in silence.

"Tell me something," he asked after another minute, and I could hear him struggle to use a lighter tone.

"Ok?"

"What were you thinking tonight, just after you punched that man? I couldn't understand your expression — you didn't look that scared, but you didn't look angry either." I thought of the dark-haired man with a surge of retroactive fear.

"I was preparing to go down in battle," I admitted

"You were going to fight them?" This upset him. "Didn't you think about running?"

"No." I said, "I was going to fight like a man."

"But…!" He struggled. "You're… you're…!"

"I am a man," I said sternly.

Edward shook his head. "I was going to say 'you're just a kid'." I raised an eyebrow at that. "But…you're really going to be hard to keep alive if you keep acting like that."

"I'm not asking you to protect me," I said.

"I know." He said, "I want to protect you." I shivered again. I'd thought the same thing about Alia.

"Hey. Look - - -" I said nervously but, before I could continue we pulled up to Charlie's house. The lights were on, my truck in its place, everything utterly normal. He stopped the car, but I didn't move. I tried to build up the nerve to tell him that I wasn't gay. Edward suddenly turned to me.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" He sounded nervous. I hesitated.

"Yes — I have a paper due," I said neutrally.

"I think you know what I mean." He said with a low growl in his throat. I wet my lips.

"Yes. I'll sit with you at lunch; at the same table as before." I looked at him. "With Alia." His eyes narrowed.

"I need to figure out what's going on between the three of us," I said. He looked uncomfortable.

"Will I have to sit next to your other friends?"

"No." I assured, "It's just going to be the three of us."

He nodded. "Tomorrow then."

I unbuckled and got out. I hesitated by the door.

"Huh." I said, "You're the second Edward I know." Edward blinked, puzzled.

"Who's the first?" He asked.

"It's Teddy."

"Teddy's not short for Edward." He said with a smirk. "It's short for Thiadora." He leaned over to close the passenger door. "See you tomorrow Jack."

"What?" I exclaimed. "You can't drop a bomb like that and then bounce!"

I watched the silver car disappear around the corner; evidentially he could. I walked to my house, reached for the key mechanically, unlocked the door, and stepped inside.

Charlie called from the living room. "Jack?"

"Yeah, Dad, it's me." I walked in to see him. He was watching a baseball game.

"You're home early."

"Am I?" I was surprised.

"It's not even eight yet," he told me. "Did you have fun?"

"Yeah — it was lots of fun." My head was spinning as I tried to remember all the way back to shopping for dresses. It felt so long ago.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm just tired. I did a lot of walking."

"Well, maybe you should go lie down." He sounded concerned. I wondered what my face looked like.

"I need to call Alia first."

"Weren't you just with her?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes — but I left my jacket in her car. I want to make sure she brings it tomorrow."

"Well, give her a chance to get home first."

"Right," I agreed.

I went to the kitchen and fell, exhausted, into a chair. I was feeling very overwhelmed. Get a grip, I told myself. I reached into my bag, which was hanging off my chair, and pulled out my phone. Huh, I had quite a few messages from Alia.

\- Hey, where are you? Miranda and I are at the restaurant. ~5:21

\- I've got a bad feeling. Why aren't you answering me? ~5:53

\- I just remembered you left your phone in your backpack, which you left at home. Haha. Guess I can't reach you through it right now. ~6:21

\- Be careful with Edward, ok? Call me when you get the chance. If you don't call me by 10:00 I'm going to assume the worst and tell my parents about him. ~6:42

That last part of the previous message felt like a threat but, I wasn't sure who she was threatening. Me or Edward? I decided to put her heart at ease and called her.

"Hello?" I said.

"Jack!" She sounded so relieved.

"Hey, Alia. I'm home."

"That's great!" Her voice was relieved… and surprised.

"By the way. I left my jacket in your car — could you bring it to me tomorrow?"

"Yes, yes. Of course. But tell me what happened!" she demanded.

"Look." I said shakily, "I'm really tired right now. I set up a private lunch tomorrow; with me, you and Edward."

Silence.

"To talk."

She remained silent for what felt like a few minutes.

"Alia?"

"Ok." She said. "Let's do that."

"Okay, I'll talk to you tomorrow, then," I said

"Jack." She sounded tired. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Thanks."

"Bye," We said at the same time then she hung up.

I walked up the stairs slowly, a heavy stupor clouding my mind. I went through the motions of getting ready for bed without paying any attention to what I was doing. It wasn't until I was in the shower — the water too hot, burning my skin — that I realized I was freezing. I shuddered for several minutes before the steaming spray could finally relax my rigid muscles. Then I stood in the shower, too tired to move until the hot water began to run out.

I stumbled out, wrapping myself securely in a towel, trying to hold the heat from the water in so the aching shivers wouldn't return. I dressed for bed swiftly and climbed under my quilt, curling into a ball, hugging myself to keep warm. A few small shudders trembled through me.

My mind still swirled dizzily, taking all the information I currently knew and putting them together like a puzzle. As I fell gradually closer to unconsciousness, a few certainties became evident.

About three things I was absolutely positive. First, Edward was a vampire. Second, Alia's family somehow knew about vampires; in general, not just Edward and his family. And third, I was smack dab right in the middle.


	15. New Friend

It was very hard, in the morning, to argue with the part of me that was sure last night was a dream. Logic wasn't on my side or common sense. I clung to the parts I couldn't have imagined — like the text messages from Alia.

I dressed in my heavy clothes, remembering I didn't have a jacket. Further proof that my memory was real.

When I got downstairs, Charlie was gone again — I was running later than I'd realized. I swallowed a granola bar in three bites, chased it down with milk straight from the carton, and then hurried out the door. Hopefully, the rain would hold off until I could find Alia.

It was unusually foggy; the air was almost smoky with it. The mist was ice cold where it clung to the exposed skin on my face and neck. I couldn't wait to get the heat going in my truck. It was such a thick fog that I was a few feet down the driveway before I realized there was a car in it: a silver car. My heart jumped to my throat. No way.

I didn't see where he came from, but suddenly he was there, pulling the door open for me.

"Do you want to ride with me today?" he asked, amused by my expression as he caught me by surprise. There was uncertainty in his voice.

"What is this?" I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "Why are you here?" He shrugged.

"It's cold outside." He said. "Do you want to wait for your truck to warm up?"

"You're avoiding the question," I said, but I got into his car. As I stepped in, I noticed his tan jacket was slung over the headrest of the passenger seat. The door closed behind me, and, sooner than should be possible, he was sitting next to me, starting the car.

"I brought a jacket for you. I didn't want you to get sick or something." His voice was guarded. I noticed that he wore no jacket himself, just a light gray knit V-neck shirt with long sleeves.

"I'm not gay," I said quickly. "I like you, but I'm not into you."

"I know that." He smirked. "You told Teddy that on your first day at school."

I blushed. "Oh."

"You humans are so fragile," He said, "I brought you a jacket because I noticed you didn't have yours last night. You must have left it in Alia's car."

"Ok, Sherlock Holmes," I said as I put the coat on. "Keep it in your pants." He chuckled. His coat had a really sweet smell to it.

We drove through the fog-shrouded streets, always too fast, feeling awkward. I was, at least. Last night all the walls were down… almost all. We have revealed so much of ourselves to each other. It left me tongue-tied as I waited for him to speak.

He turned to me. "Are you mad at me?"

"Is my silence bothering you?" I asked.

"Not as much as your reactions do." He looked like he was joking, but I couldn't be sure.

I gazed out the window. "Cool."

"That's the problem. You take everything so coolly — it's unnatural. It makes me wonder what you're really thinking."

"Not really any of your business." It was early. I wasn't really up for a round of 20 questions.

He didn't respond, and I felt guilty. I hadn't wanted to hurt his feelings. His face was unreadable as we drove into the school parking lot. Something occurred to me belatedly.

"Where's the rest of your family?" I asked

"They took Rosalie's car." He shrugged as he parked next to a glossy pink convertible with the top up.

"Ostentatious, isn't it?"

"Um, wow," I breathed. "If she has that, why does she ride with you?"

"Like I said, it's ostentatious. We try to blend in."

"You don't succeed." I chuckled and shook my head as we got out of the car. I wasn't late anymore; his lunatic driving had gotten me to school in plenty of time. "So why did Rosalie drive today if it's more conspicuous?"

"Hadn't you noticed? I'm breaking all the rules now." He met me at the front of the car, staying very close to my side as we walked onto campus. I felt uncomfortable with the little distance between us. I leaned away from him.

"Why do you have cars like that at all?" I wondered aloud. "If you're looking for privacy?"

"An indulgence," he admitted with an impish smile. "We all like to drive fast."

"Figures," I muttered under my breath.

Under the shelter of the cafeteria roof's overhang, Alia was waiting with my jacket slung over her arm. She shot up when she saw us.

"Hey, Alia," I said when we were a few feet away. "Thanks for remembering." She handed me my jacket without speaking.

"Good morning, Alia," Edward said politely. She eyed him carefully.

"Morning, Edward."

We walked towards our classes silently.

"People are curious," Edward noted.

"You…!" Alia exclaimed.

"Shhh." He smirked at her. "We'll talk at lunch, right?" She deflated, looking embarrassed.

He turned and walked away.

"I'll see you two at lunch," he called over his shoulder. Three people walking in the door stopped to stare at us.

Alia and I hurried into class. She seemed flushed and irritated. I sat in my usual seat and Alia in hers.

"Morning, Alia," I heard Kate say the seat from behind me. I looked up to see her talking to Alia. "How was Port Angeles?"

"It was…" She glanced at me.

"Great," I finished. "Miranda got a really cute dress, and Alia got something nice too."

"Ooh. What sort of dresses did you get?" she asked.

"I got a pink apron dress, and Miranda got a knee-length blue dress with spaghetti straps," Alia said with disinterest. She didn't even look up from her desk.

"Nice." Kate said, "I'd have gone shopping with you…" She looked at me, "But I already have a dress."

Mr. Mason called the class to order then, asking us to turn in our papers. English and then Government passed in a blur, while I worried about how lunch was going to go and if Edward would be listening to what I said through the medium of other's thoughts.

The fog had almost dissolved by the end of the second hour, but the day was still dark with low, oppressing clouds. I smiled up at the sky.

When I walked into Trig Teddy was sitting in the back row, nearly bouncing off his seat in agitation. I went to sit by him.

"Yo! What happened last night?" he asked before I was in the seat.

"What do you mean?" I hedged.

"My boy, Eric, said you bounced halfway through the night and then popped up again with Edward. That true?"

"Yeah. He bought me dinner, and then he drove me home."

He looked at me, his expression confused. "Like a date?"

"Like two dudes hanging out, man!" I exclaimed.

"Hey!" Teddy said, "I'm just curious. You ditched two girls, man! Who does that?"

A guy who almost got mugged by four men who thought that he was a girl… I thought to myself.

"Did you tell him to meet you there?"

I hadn't thought of that. "No — I was very surprised to see him there."

His lips puckered. "But he picked you up for school today?" he probed.

"How do you know that?" I asked.

"I saw you getting out of his car this morning." He explained.

"Yeah. He picked me up." I admitted. "He noticed I'd left my jacket in Alia's car."

"Oh. Cool." Teddy nodded. He seemed to drop the subject, so I decided to ask him something.

"What's Teddy short for?"

"Huh?" He looked surprised. "Thiadora. You didn't know that?" I scrunched my face. Did he… she think I was psychic like Edward?

"No," I said. "Why would I?"

"Oh yeah!" His (her) hand flew up index finger up. Like he just 'got it.' "You just moved here this year. I started using that nickname when I was twelve. Everyone knows my real name though."

"Oh," I mumbled. "Please don't be offended but…"

"What?" Teddy said, "You gonna call me something rude?"

"No," I said. "It's just that… Thiadora sounds like a girl's name."

Teddy laughed, "It is a girl's name." I looked at him (her?) expectantly. (S)He remained silent

"Cool," I finally said. As I turned away, Teddy spoke up again.

"Right, you don't know!" He leaned closer to me. "It's been a while since I've had to explain myself."

"If you're not comfortable…" I started.

"Dude, I think we're close enough." He said waving aside my worries with his hand. Class had started, but Mr. Varner wasn't paying close attention, and we weren't the only ones still talking.

"I'm a hermaphrodite." He whispered. "My body is both female and male. It caused me to have an odd relationship with my gender. But when I was twelve, I realized I was gender fluid."

"Wow!" I whispered.

"Yeah." Teddy smiled, "Sometimes I'm a guy, sometimes I'm a gal and yet I'm neither. I felt Teddy encompassed that nicely."

"It's short for Edward." I pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm also a teddy bear." I didn't really get that part, but I began to feel very guilty for misgendering Teddy.

"What pronouns should I use for you?"

"I don't really care." Teddy leaned back into their seat. "It's not like you can see when I switch genders. Use whatever's comfortable for you. The only pronoun I really need is 'you' when I'm being talked to." We both stopped talking to listen to Mr. Varner.

After class as we were leaving, I paused to ask Teddy something.

"Did people get really weird about you?" I asked nervously. "When you came out."

"At first," Teddy said, "but they eventually just got over it. I didn't change physically, and since I don't care about pronouns, no one needed to change the way the thought about me."

"Oh," I said.

"You ok man?"

I wasn't ready to talk about my thing yet, so I said, "Yeah. Just curious."

We spent the rest of the walk discussing sports, and we spent most of Spanish on dissecting sentence structures. And then the bell rang for lunch. We packed up to go, but outside the door to our Spanish class, leaning against the wall, was Edward; waiting for me. Teddy's eyes bounced from me to him.

"You're not sitting with us. Are you?" They said. I nodded.

"Yeah."

"Hello." Edward's voice was amused.

"I'll be sitting with them too." Alia's voice said cheerfully. The three of us turned to her.

"Oh." Teddy mused. "Oh." They said giving me a cheeky expression.

"Stop that," I said. Edward broke into a quiet chuckle.

"Both of you!" I exclaimed, "Get your minds out of the gutter!" Alia giggled at this point too.

"Laters baby," Teddy said and departed.

As we walked to the cafeteria none of us spoke so, it was a quiet walk. Walking with Edward and Alia flanking me through the crowded lunchtime rush was a lot like my first day here; everyone stared.

I led the way into the line, still not speaking, though I'd peek at my two companions' face every few seconds, their expressions speculative. It seemed to me that irritation was winning out over amusement as the dominant emotion in Edward's face, while fear and nervousness tied on Alia's. I fidgeted nervously with the zipper on my jacket. Edward paid for all three of our lunches earning him a scoff from Alia.

"Uh, thanks," I said.

He led the way to the same place we'd sat before. From the other end of the long table, a group of seniors gazed at us as we sat across from each other. We sat in silence and Alia, and I ate our lunches.

"So…" I said after a while. "Vampires are real. That's a thing."

"Yes," Alia and Edward spoke in unison. Silence again.

"Alia," I said, "Did you know that Edward can read minds?"

"No." Alia said, "Some vampires can, and I suspected he could, but I wasn't sure." She glanced at him. "Until now."

"Right." I said enthusiastically, "Good, so… And Edward. You know why she's mad at you?"

"Yes." He said, "And no, I didn't." Alia frowned at him. "I am telling the truth." She looked away. "No, I don't." Alia blushed hard, and she nodded, clearly holding back tears.

"Uh…" I interjected. "Excuse me. Non-psychic dude around here. What's all this about?" Alia turned to me. Edward kept looking at her.

"I told you my aunt died," Alia said. "Well, she was… killed by a vampire." Edward's one-sided conversation made sense now.

"Not by me though," Edward said. "Or anyone in my family."

"And you don't know who the perpetrator is." I mused.

"Must have been a pretty strong vampire," Edward muttered. "Olivia was one tough customer." Alia shot a glare at Edward.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked. Alia shifted her focus to the table.

"I'll tell you later." She said hurriedly. I decided to let it go.

"Stop humming that tune, it'll be stuck in my head all day," Edward growled. I looked at Alia. Is that what she was focusing on? Humming a tune so that Edward couldn't hear her thoughts. That was clever… and kind of cute.

"I don't want you in my head," Alia said quietly with a grim smile.

"What tune is it?" I asked, genuinely curious. She hummed it while Edward rolled his eyes good-naturedly. I chuckled. Alia smiled sadly, but she didn't giggle. Something over my shoulder seemed to catch Edward's attention.

"Teddy's analyzing everything we do — she thinks we're fighting over Alia." Edward paused. "Apparently Jack is winning."

"Show off," Alia said. I smiled as I took a bite of salad.

"See," I said, "We're all getting along."

"Indeed!" Edward agreed.

"Actually, yeah." Alia said, "You're ok, Edward."

"Maybe all three of us can go to Seattle this Saturday." He added in smoothly. I choked on my water.

"What?" I said, "We're not getting along that well!"

"Huh?" Alia peeped. "Were you going to drive Jack to Seattle for his doctor's appointment?"

"You've seen the state of his truck," Edward said.

"Yikes, true," Alia said thoughtfully, then she got excited. "I'd love to tag along!"

"But," I objected, "I don't… I'm not…" I took a deep breath, "I'll go with you, Edward. But, I'm not ready for Alia to… you know?" I didn't want to tell Alia my secret just yet. I peeked up at Alia expecting her to look hurt. But instead, she looked contemplative.

"Does Edward know something about you I don't?" Alia asked slowly. Edward's expression answered her question. Alia narrowed her eyes at him, but she didn't seem mad.

"We don't have to come into the doctor's building with you." Edward pointed out. He looked at Alia. "Besides having her around will give me incentive," He leaned close to me. "To bring you back." I shuddered. Alia looked taken aback.

"Let's talk about something else," I suggested.

"What do you want to talk about?" Edward asked.

I glanced around us, making sure we were well out of anyone's hearing. As I cast my eyes around the room, I caught the eyes of his sister, Alice, staring at me. The others were looking at Edward. I looked away swiftly, back to him.

"What?" Alia asked as she looked around too. I turned back to the table, and Alia followed suit.

"What'd you do this weekend?" I asked.

"I went hiking with my brother; in the Goat Rocks Wilderness, just south of Rainier."

"That's not a good place to hike," Alia said, " because of the… bears."

"Bears?" I gasped, and Edward smirked. "You know, bears are not in season," I added sternly, to hide my shock.

"Is that what you eat instead of people?" Alia asked. Edward nodded to her and then turned to me.

"If you read carefully, the laws only cover hunting with weapons," he informed me.

He watched my face with enjoyment as that slowly sank in.

"Bears?" I repeated with difficulty.

"Grizzly is Emmett's favorite." His voice was still offhand, but his eyes were scrutinizing my reaction.

"Hmmm," Alia said, taking another bite of pizza. She chewed slowly, and then took a long drink of Coke without looking up.

"So," I said after a moment, finally meeting his now-anxious gaze. "What's your favorite?"

He raised an eyebrow, and the corners of his mouth turned down in disapproval. "Elk."

"Right." I said, "Vegetarians."

"Oh!" Alia exclaimed, "That's why you were so attracted to Jack."

Edward smiled at her. "She gets it."

"Yeah," I said slowly.

"Early spring is Emmett's favorite bear season," He continued, "They're just coming out of hibernation, so they're more irritable." He smiled at some remembered joke.

"Nothing more fun than an irritated grizzly bear," I agreed, nodding.

He glanced at Alia, she was focusing on the table again, then at me. "Tell me what you're thinking, please."

"I'm trying to picture it — but I can't," I admitted. "How do you hunt a bear without weapons?"

"Oh, they got weapons." Alia huffed. She guzzled her soda.

Edward flashed his bright teeth in a brief, threatening smile. I fought back a shiver. "Just not the kind they consider when writing hunting laws. If you've ever seen a bear attack on television, you should be able to visualize Emmett hunting."

I couldn't stop the next shiver that flashed down my spine. I peeked across the cafeteria toward Emmett, grateful that he wasn't looking my way. The thick bands of muscle that wrapped his arms and torso were somehow even more menacing now.

Edward followed my gaze and chuckled. I stared at Emmet, unnerved. Alia was unfazed.

"Are you like a bear, too?" I asked in a low voice.

"More like a lion, or so they tell me," he said lightly.

"Why?" Alia asked suddenly. Edward and I looked at her. Edward and Alia held eye contact for a few seconds. Did she want to know why his family thought he was like a lion?

"Because he's interesting," Edward answered. "I like him, and I want to protect him." Alia nodded. Oh, she was thinking about me...this exchange made me feel awkward.

"From what?" I asked. Alia and Edward looked at me.

"From whoever killed Auntie Olivia," Alia whispered.


	16. Interrogations

The rest of the day passed with little complications. During Bio, Mr. Banner put on a movie about different types of cells. Edward's posture was different this time though. He sat somewhat close to me, and he stared at me throughout the whole class. We both ended up sitting rigidly, trying to look comfortable.

Gym was fun again since Kate had stopped being passive aggressive towards me. She even decided to be my partner when Coach Clapp ordered is to pair up into teams. Badminton was a sport I found challenging and we were only able to win two games out of five.

"So," Kate said as we walked off the court.

"What?"

"You, Cullen and Vetcher, huh?" she asked, she was trying so hard to be casual. I felt my face blush.

"We're just friends." I said, "You know, three amigos."

"Oh, really?" Kate said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yeah," I said.

"Don't get defensive." She said, "It's just that…he looks at you like… like you're something to eat."

That made me laugh. She smiled and eventually joined along.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I said. She smiled and returned the gesture.

As I got dressed in the locker room, I realized that my truck was still at home. I figured I could walk home. But when I approached the parking lot, I noticed that Edward and Alia were standing near the doors, chatting. Alia was looking at Edward with this look of realization on her face. They were gazing into each other's eyes. I felt a pang of jealousy in my chest, and I walked briskly up to them.

"Hey guys," I said, "What's up?"

"Awww." Alia grinned. "What's with the pouty expression?"

"Pout? What pout?" I asked.

"You are so pouting!" Her bubbliness lightened my mood, and I smiled. "Toodles, Jack." She looked at Edward, but her statement was aimed at me. "I will see you tomorrow." She winked at me and walked towards her car.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm driving you home tonight," Edward said.

"Oh," I said. "Thanks, but that's ok. I'm walking home tonight."

He frowned at me. "But, I want to talk to you."

I looked at him. "About what?"

"All sorts of stuff." He smiled. I gulped.

"OK, sure," I said.

On the way home, we talked about more vampire stuff. I learned that if you have mind reading abilities, you can't control minds and the same in reverse; though mind control was a very rare ability. Most vampires with mind power read minds. Alice could also hear thoughts, and like Edward, she couldn't hear mine.

"I wonder why." He mumbled to himself.

He stopped the car. I looked up, surprised — we were already at Charlie's house, parked behind the truck. When I looked back at him, he was staring at me, measuring with his eyes.

"Alright, thanks for driving me," I said. "It was really cool to learn more about vampires."

I opened the door, and an arctic draft burst into the car. I stepped carefully out of the car and shut the door behind me without looking back. The whir of the automatic window unrolling made me turn.

"Oh, Jack?" he called after me. He leaned toward the open window with a faint smile on his lips.

"Yes?"

"Tomorrow it's my turn."

"Your turn to what?"

He smiled wider, flashing his gleaming teeth. "To ask the questions."

And then he was gone, the car speeding down the street and disappearing around the corner before I could even collect my thoughts. I smiled as I walked to the house. It was nice to get to know him. I felt that it brought me and Edward closer, talking about our secrets.

When I woke, I was still tired, but edgy as well. I pulled on my brown turtleneck and the inescapable jeans, sighing as I daydreamed of tank tops and shorts. Breakfast was the usual, quiet event I expected. Charlie fried eggs for himself; I had a bowl of cereal. He stood up to take his plate to the sink.

"About this Saturday…" he began, walking across the kitchen and turning on the faucet.

I was surprised. "Yes, Dad?"

"Are you still set on going to Seattle?" he asked.

"Yes," I said.

He squeezed some dish soap onto his plate and swirled it around with the brush. "And you're sure you can't make it back in time for the dance?"

"Oh Dad, I'm not going to the dance." I sighed.

"Didn't you ask anyone?" he asked, trying to hide his concern by focusing on rinsing the plate.

I put my spoon down. "I have to go to my doctor's appointment. Remember?"

"Oh." He frowned as he dried his plate.

I sympathized with him. It must be a hard thing, to be a father; living in fear that your son would meet a girl he liked but also having to worry if he didn't.

Charlie left then, with a goodbye wave, and I went upstairs to brush my teeth and gather my books. I heard the cruiser pull away and I got ready to get in my truck. But when I peeked out of my window, Edward's silver car was already there, waiting in Charlie's spot on the driveway. I walked down the stairs and out the front door, wondering how long this bizarre routine would continue.

He waited in the car, appearing not to watch as I shut the door behind me without bothering to lock the dead-bolt. I walked to the car, pausing shyly before opening the door and stepping in. He was smiling, relaxed.

"Good morning." His voice was silky. "How are you today?" His eyes roamed over my face as if his question was something more than simple courtesy.

"Good, thank you." I was becoming more comfortable around him.

His gaze lingered on the circles under my eyes. "You look tired."

"I couldn't sleep," I confessed.

"Neither could I," he teased as he started the engine. It was so quiet compared to the roar of my truck; I wonder if it would scare me the next time I got to drive it again.

I laughed. "I guess that's right. I suppose I slept just a little bit more than you did."

"I'd wager you did."

"So, is this going to become a regular thing?" I asked.

He chuckled. "Excuse me. It's my day to ask questions."

"Oh, that's right. What do you want to know?"

"What's your favorite color?" he asked, his face grave.

I rolled my eyes. "It changes from day today."

"What's your favorite color today?" He was still solemn.

"Probably brown." I tended to dress according to my mood.

He snorted, dropping his serious expression. "Brown?" he asked skeptically.

"Sure. Brown is warm. I miss brown. Everything that's supposed to be brown — tree trunks, rocks, dirt — is all covered up with squashy green stuff here," I complained.

He seemed fascinated by my little rant. He considered for a moment, staring into my eyes.

"You're right," he decided, serious again. "Brown is warm."

We were at school now. He turned back to me as he pulled into a parking space.

"What music is in your CD player right now?" he asked, his face as somber as if he'd asked for a murder confession.

I realized I'd never removed the CD Phil had given me. When I said the name of the band, he smiled crookedly, a peculiar expression in his eyes. He flipped open a compartment under his car's CD player, pulled out one of thirty or so CDs that were jammed into the small space, and handed it to me,

"Debussy to this?" He raised an eyebrow.

"Huh, same-sies?" I examined the familiar cover art, keeping my eyes down.

It continued like that for the rest of the day. While he walked with Alia and me to English, when he met me after Spanish, all through the lunch hour, he questioned me relentlessly about every insignificant detail of my existence. Movies I'd liked and hated, the few places I'd been and the many places I wanted to go, and books — endless questions on books. Alia stayed mostly quiet.

I suppose I couldn't blame her. She knew a few of these things from just talking to me. More often than not, I felt self-conscious, certain I must be boring them. But the absolute absorption of Edward's face and his never-ending stream of questions compelled me to continue. Mostly his questions were easy, only a very few triggering my natural blushes. But when I did flush, it brought on a whole new round of questions.

Such as when he asked my favorite gemstone, and I blurted out topaz before thinking. He'd been flinging questions at me with such speed that I felt like I was taking one of those psychiatric tests where you answer with the first word that comes to mind. I was sure he would have continued down whatever mental list he was following, except for the blush. My face reddened because, until very recently, my favorite gemstone was emerald. It was impossible while staring back into his topaz eyes, not to remember the reason for the switch. And, naturally, he wouldn't rest until I'd admitted why I was embarrassed.

"Tell me," he finally commanded after persuasion failed.

"Please?" Alia added.

"It's the color of your eyes today," I sighed, surrendering, staring down at my hands. I'd given more information than necessary in my unwilling honesty.

"What?!" Alia snorted as she started to giggle.

"What?" I shot back, "He's got really nice eyes! I'm straight, not blind!"

The three of us chuckled. Afterward, Edward continued with the psychoanalysis.

Biology was odd again. Edward had continued with his quizzing up until Mr. Banner entered the room, dragging the audiovisual frame in again. As the teacher approached the light switch, I noticed Edward slide his chair slightly farther away from mine. I wondered if he was thirsting for my blood. That sent a shiver down my spine. I didn't look at him because I was afraid he'd be looking at me. When Mr. Banner turned the lights on, I finally glanced at Edward; he was looking at me, his eyes ambivalent.

He rose in silence and then stood still, waiting for me. We walked toward the gym in silence, like yesterday.

Gym passed quickly as I engaged in a one-man badminton show. Kate was my partner, and she was particularly bad at badminton.

I hurried to change afterward, looking forward to spending time with my two close friends. When I made it out the door, the broad smile automatically spreading across my face faltered. Edward was standing there alone. He smiled at me.

"Where's Alia?" I asked.

"She was called away by her family." He said casually before launching into more cross-examination.

His questions were different now, though, not as easily answered. He wanted to know what I missed about home, insisting on descriptions of anything he wasn't familiar with. We sat in front of Charlie's house for hours, as the sky darkened, and rain plummeted around us in a sudden deluge.

I tried to describe impossible things like the scent of creosote — bitter, slightly resinous, but still pleasant — the high, keening sound of the cicadas in July, the feathery barrenness of the trees, the very size of the sky, extending white-blue from horizon to horizon, barely interrupted by the low mountains covered with purple volcanic rock. The hardest thing to explain was why it was so beautiful to me — to justify a beauty that didn't depend on the sparse, spiny vegetation that often looked half dead, a beauty that had more to do with the exposed shape of the land, with the shallow bowls of valleys between the craggy hills, and the way they held on to the sun. I found myself using my hands as I tried to describe it to him.

His quiet, probing questions kept me talking freely, forgetting, in the dim light of the storm, to be embarrassed for monopolizing the conversation. Finally, when I had finished detailing my cluttered room at home, he paused instead of responding with another question.

"Are you finished?" I asked in relief.

"Not even close — but your father will be home soon."

"Oh, ok," I said. "Do you want to - - - ok..?" He reached across to open my door for me, and his immediate proximity alarmed me. But his hand froze on the handle.

"Not good," he muttered.

"What is it?" I was surprised to see that his jaw was clenched, his eyes disturbed.

He glanced at me for a brief second. "Another complication," he said glumly.

He flung the door open in one swift movement, and then moved, almost cringed, swiftly away from me.

The flash of headlights through the rain caught my attention as a dark car pulled up to the curb just a few feet away, facing us.

"Charlie's around the corner," he warned, staring through the downpour at the other vehicle.

I hopped out at once, despite my confusion and curiosity. The rain was louder as it glanced off my jacket. I tried to make out the shapes in the front seat of the other car, but it was too dark. I could see Edward illuminated in the glare of the new car's headlights; he was still staring ahead, his gaze locked on something or someone I couldn't see. His expression was a strange mix of frustration and defiance.

Then he revved the engine, and the tires squealed against the wet pavement. The Volvo was out of sight in seconds.


	17. Complications

"Hey, Jack," called a familiar, husky voice from the driver's side of the little black car.

"Jacob?" I asked, squinting through the rain. Just then, Charlie's cruiser swung around the corner, his lights shining on the occupants of the car in front of me.

Jacob was already climbing out, his wide grin visible even through the darkness. In the passenger seat was a much older man, a heavyset man with a memorable face — a face that overflowed, the cheeks resting against his shoulders, with creases running through the russet skin like an old leather jacket. And the surprisingly familiar eyes, black eyes that seemed at the same time both too young and too ancient for the broad face they were set in. Jacob's father, Billy Black. I knew him immediately, though in the more than five years since I'd seen him last I'd managed to forget his name when Charlie had spoken of him my first day here. He was staring at me, scrutinizing my face, so I smiled tentatively at him. His eyes were wide as if in shock or fear, his nostrils flared. My smile faded.

Another complication, Edward had said.

Billy still stared at me with intense, anxious eyes. I looked around awkwardly. Did Billy recognize Edward for what he really was?

The answer was clear in Billy's eyes. Yes. Yes, he could.

"Billy!" Charlie called as soon as he got out of the car.

I turned toward the house, beckoning to Jacob as I ducked under the porch. I heard Charlie greeting them loudly behind me.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't see you behind the wheel, Jake," he said disapprovingly.

"We get permits early on the rez," Jacob said while I unlocked the door and flicked on the porch light.

"Sure you do," Charlie laughed.

"I have to get around somehow." I recognized Billy's resonant voice easily, despite the years. The sound of it made me feel suddenly younger, a child.

I went inside, leaving the door open behind me and turning on lights before I hung up my jacket. Then I stood in the doorway, watching anxiously as Charlie and Jacob helped Billy out of the car and into his wheelchair.

I backed out of the way as the three of them hurried in, shaking off the rain.

"This is a surprise," Charlie was saying.

"It's been too long," Billy answered. "I hope it's not a bad time." His dark eyes flashed up to me again, their expressions were unreadable.

"No, it's great. I hope you can stay for the game."

Jacob grinned. "I think that's the plan — our TV broke last week."

"Are you hungry?" I asked, turning toward the kitchen. I was eager to escape Billy's searching gaze.

"Naw, we ate just before we came," Jacob answered.

"How about you, Charlie?" I called over my shoulder as I fled around the corner.

"Sure," he replied, his voice moving in the direction of the front room and the TV. I could hear Billy's chair follow.

The grilled cheese sandwiches were in the frying pan, and I was slicing up a tomato when I sensed someone behind me.

"So, how are things?" Jacob asked.

"Pretty good." I smiled. His enthusiasm was contagious. "How about you? Did you finish your car?"

"No." He frowned. "I still need parts. We borrowed that one." He pointed with his thumb in the direction of the front yard.

"Sorry. I haven't seen any… what was it you were looking for?"

"Master cylinder." He grinned. "Is something wrong with the truck?" he added suddenly.

"No."

"Oh. I just wondered because you weren't driving it."

I shrugged, pulling up the edge of a sandwich to check the bottom side. "I got a ride with a friend."

"Nice ride." Jacob's voice was admiring. "I didn't recognize the driver, though. I thought I knew most of the kids around here."

I nodded noncommittally, as I flipped sandwiches.

"My dad seemed to know him from somewhere."

"Yo, pass me some plates? They're in the cupboard over the sink."

"Sure."

He got the plates in silence.

"So, who was it?" he asked, setting two plates on the counter next to me.

"Edward Cullen."

To my surprise, he laughed. I glanced up at him. He looked a little embarrassed.

"Guess that explains it, then," he said. "I wondered why my dad was acting so strange."

"Oh?" I raised an eyebrow. "He doesn't like the Cullens?"

Jacob looked around shiftily.

"Do you know any of our old stories, about where we came from — the Quileutes, I mean?" he began.

"Not really," I admitted.

"Well, there are lots of legends, some of them claiming to date back to the Flood — supposedly, the ancient Quileutes tied their canoes to the tops of the tallest trees on the mountain to survive like Noah and the ark." He smiled, to show me how little stock he put in the histories. "Another legend claims that we descended from wolves and that the wolves are our brothers still. It's against tribal law to kill them."

"What's that got to do with the Cullens?" I asked.

"Well, there are the stories about the cold ones." His voice dropped a little lower.

"The cold ones?"

"Yes. There are stories of the cold ones as old as the wolf legends, and some much more recent. According to legend, my own great-grandfather knew some of them. He was the one who made the treaty that kept them off our land." He rolled his eyes.

"Your great-grandfather?" I said, intrigued.

"He was a tribal elder, like my father. You see, the cold ones are the natural enemies of the wolf—well, not the wolf, really, but the wolves that turn into men, like our ancestors."

"What, like werewolves?"

"Sort of, but not really. We only have one enemy."

"K."

"So, you see," Jacob continued, "the cold ones are traditionally our enemies. But this pack that came to our territory during my great-grandfather's time was different. They didn't hunt the way others of their kind did — they weren't supposed to be dangerous to the tribe. So, my great-grandfather made a truce with them. If they promised to stay off our lands, we wouldn't expose them to the pale-faces." He winked at me.

"Wait, how were these cold ones not dangerous?" I struggled not to let him see how seriously I was considering his story.

"They claimed that they didn't hunt humans. They supposedly were somehow able to prey on animals instead."

My heart skipped a beat. That sounded familiar. "So, are the Cullens like the vampires your great-grandfather met?"

"No." He paused dramatically. "They are the same ones."

I stared at the sandwiches after he answered, not sure what my face was exposing.

"Pretty crazy stuff, though, isn't it? No wonder my dad doesn't want us to talk about it to anyone."

I couldn't control my expression enough to look at him yet. "Then why'd you tell me?"

"I guess I like telling stories," he laughed. "Seriously, though, don't say anything to Charlie. He was pretty mad at my dad when he heard that some of us weren't going to the hospital since Dr. Cullen started working there."

"Ok. I'll take it to my grave."

"Cool." He smiled.

"What about Billy? You don't think he'll say anything to Charlie?" I couldn't help asking,

Jacob stared at me for a moment, and I couldn't read the expression in his dark eyes. "I doubt it," he finally answered. "I think Charlie chewed him out pretty good last time. They haven't spoken much since — tonight is sort of a reunion, I think. I don't think he'd bring it up again."

"Oh," I said, trying to sound indifferent.

I stayed in the front room after I carried the food out to Charlie, watching the game while Jacob chattered with me. I had a lot of homework that was going undone, but I enjoyed hanging out with this blast from the past. Though, there was an odd tension in the room. Billy kept looking at Jacob and me. And when Jacob caught on to this, he stopped talking. It became a little awkward. Eventually, the game ended.

"Are you and your friends coming back to the beach soon?" Jacob asked as he pushed his father over the lip of the threshold.

"Dunno, maybe," I hedged.

"That was fun, Charlie," Billy said.

"Come up for the next game," Charlie encouraged. I guess he hadn't felt the awkwardness.

"Sure, sure," Billy said. "We'll be here. Have a good night." His eyes shifted to mine, and his smile disappeared. "You take care, son," he added seriously.

"It's Jack," I muttered, "And thanks."

I headed for the stairs while Charlie waved from the doorway.

"Wait, Jack," he said.

I paused. Had Billy said something to him before I'd joined them in the living room?

But Charlie was relaxed, still grinning from the unexpected visit.

"I didn't get a chance to talk to you tonight. How was your day?"

"Good." I hesitated with one foot on the first stair, searching for details I could safely share. "My badminton team won all four games."

"Wow, I didn't know you could play badminton."

"Yeah, I'm actually pretty good. I can play for both me and my partner." I admitted.

"Who is it?" he asked with token interest.

"Um… Kate Newton," I told him reluctantly.

"Oh yeah — you said you were friends with the Newton girl." He perked up. "Nice family." He mused for a minute. "Why don't you ask her to the dance this weekend?"

"Dad!" I groaned. "I didn't make up my doctor's appointment as an excuse to get out of that dance. I really got to go to it."

"Oh yeah," he muttered. Then he smiled at me apologetically. "So, I guess it's good you'll be gone Saturday… I've made plans to go fishing with the guys from the station. The weather's supposed to be real warm. But if you wanted someone to come with you on your trip, I'd stay home. I know I leave you here alone too much."

"Dad, you're doing a great job." I smiled, hoping my relief didn't show. "I've never minded being alone — I'm a little like you." I winked at him, and he smiled his crinkly-eyed smile.

I slept better that night, too tired to dream. When I woke to the pearl gray morning, my mood was pretty good. The tense evening with Billy and Jacob seemed harmless enough now; I decided to forget it altogether. I caught myself whistling while I was shaving my morning whiskers, and later again as I skipped down the stairs. Charlie noticed.

"You're cheerful this morning," he commented over breakfast.

I shrugged. "It's Friday."

I was ready to go the second Charlie left; I had my bag ready, shoes on and teeth brushed. Edward was waiting in his shiny car, windows down, engine off.

I didn't hesitate this time, climbing in the passenger side quickly.

"How did you sleep?" he asked.

"Fine. How was your night?"

"Pleasant." His smile was amused; I felt like I was missing an inside joke.

"Can I ask what you did?" I asked.

"No." He grinned. "Today is still mine." I rolled my eyes.

He wanted to know about people today: more about Renée, her hobbies, what we'd done in our free time together. And then the one grandmother I'd known, my few school friends — embarrassing me when he asked about girls I'd dated. I admitted that I'd never really dated anyone because my transition had complicated things. Although he seemed to understand this, he was still as surprised as Miranda by my lack of romantic history.

"So, you never met anyone you wanted?" he asked in a serious tone that made me wonder what he was thinking about.

I was grudgingly honest. "There were a few girls I liked but, not romantically."

His lips pressed together into a hard line.

The three of us were in the cafeteria at this point, Alia quietly listening. The day had sped by in the blur that was rapidly becoming routine. I took advantage of his brief pause to take a bite of my bagel.

"I should have let you drive yourself today," he announced, apropos of nothing, while I chewed.

"Why?" I demanded.

"I'm leaving with Alice after lunch."

"Oh." I blinked. "That's okay, it's not that far of a walk."

Alia piped up. "Hey, I can drive you home today." Edward looked at her.

"If you want, Alice and I will go get your truck and leave it here for you."

"I don't have my key with me," I pointed out. "How would you get my truck here?" He looked at me and smirked.

"Hey!" I exclaimed. "Don't break into my house!"

"Really, Jack," Alia said. "I can drive you home."

"All right," I agreed, feeling my cheeks go red. I actually missed having some one on one time with her. She smiled and looked down. Edward seemed to give in to this decision.

"So where are you going?" Alia asked Edward casually.

"Hunting," he answered grimly. "If I'm going to be with Jack all day tomorrow, I'm going to take whatever precautions I can." His eyes seemed to darken in color as I watched.

Alia and I sat in silence at that.

"Cool," Alia said trying to break the silence.

"What time will I see you tomorrow?" Edward asked.

"My appointment is at 11:00 so we'll have to leave at 6:30 at the latest?" I worked out.

"Yikes," Alia said, restraining a smile.

"I'll drive," Edward decided. "Will Charlie be there?"

"No, he's fishing tomorrow."

His voice turned sharp. "And if you don't come home, what will he think?"

"Woah, dude." I leaned away.

"Jack is coming back." Alia added smoothly, "I'm coming too, right?"

He scowled at her, and she scowled back. I sighed. I thought we were past this.

"What are you hunting tonight?" I asked to try to disrupt the glowering contest.

"Whatever we find in the park. We aren't going far." He seemed bemused by my casual reference to his secret realities.

"Why are you going with Alice?" I wondered.

"Alice is the most… supportive." He frowned as he spoke.

"And the others?" Alia asked quietly. "What are they?"

His brow puckered for a brief moment. "Incredulous, for the most part."

I peeked quickly behind me at his family. They sat staring off in different directions, exactly the same as the first time I'd seen them. Only now they were four; their youngest brother sat across from me, his golden eyes troubled.

"They don't like me," I guessed.

"That's not it," he disagreed, but his eyes were too innocent. "They don't like Alia." Alia bobbed her head playfully.

"Nya Nya." She said.

"They also don't understand why I can't leave you alone." He gestured to me.

I frowned. "Neither do I, for that matter."

Edward looked toward the ceiling, looking… embarrassed?

"Wow." Alia mused, "You really care about him."

He looked at her. "Having the advantages I do," he murmured, touching his forehead discreetly, "I have a better than average grasp of human nature. People are predictable. But Jack… he never does what I expect. He always takes me by surprise."

I looked away, my eyes wandering back to his family, as Alia and Edward chatted to each other. His words made me feel like a science experiment.

I was still staring at the Cullens when suddenly Rosalie, his blond and breathtaking sister, turned to look at me. No, not to listen — to glare, with dark, cold eyes. I wanted to look away, but her gaze held me until Edward broke off mid-sentence and made an angry noise under his breath. It was almost a hiss.

Rosalie turned her head, and I was relieved to be free. I looked back at Edward — and I knew he could see the confusion in my eyes.

"What are you a cat?" Alia asked.

His face was tight as he explained. "I'm sorry about that. She's just worried. You see… it's dangerous for more than just me if, after spending so much time with the both of you so publicly…" He looked down.

"If?" I asked.

"If this ends… badly." He dropped his head into his hands, as he had that night in Port Angeles. His anguish was plain. It made me feel awkward. I wanted to comfort him but, I wasn't sure how. My hand reached toward him; quickly, though, I dropped it to the table, fearing that my touch would only make things worse. I realized slowly that his words should frighten me.

Alia spoke in a normal voice. "And you have to leave now?"

"Yes." He raised his face; it was serious for a moment, then his mood shifted, and he smiled. "It's probably for the best. We still have fifteen minutes of that wretched movie left to endure in Biology — I don't think I could take any more."

I started. Alice — her short, inky hair in a halo of spiky disarray around her exquisite, elfin face — was suddenly standing behind his shoulder. Her slight frame was willowy, graceful even in absolute stillness.

He greeted her without looking away from us. "Alice."

"Edward," she answered, her high soprano voice sounding extremely attractive.

"Alice, Jack and Alia — guys, Alice," he introduced us, gesturing casually with his hand, a wry smile on his face.

"Hello, Jack. Hello Alia." Her brilliant obsidian eyes were unreadable, but her smile was friendly. "It's nice to finally meet you."

Edward flashed a dark look at her.

"Hi, Alice," I murmured shyly.

Alia looked away. Alice and Edward both looked at her; Edward looked annoyed, and Alice looked amused. I didn't need to guess what Alia was doing.

"Well, that song's going to be in my head for the rest of the day."Alice murmured.

Alia smiled.

Alice turned to Edward. "Are you ready?"

His voice was aloof. "Nearly. I'll meet you at the car."

She left without another word.

"That song again?" Edward said.

"How many of you guys read minds?" Alia hissed.

"Just me and Alice."

"So, should I say 'have fun,' or is that the wrong sentiment?" I asked. Edward lightened up at that.

"No, 'have fun' works as well as anything." He grinned.

"Have fun, then," I said numbly.

"I'll try." He still grinned. "And you try to be safe, please."

"Don't worry." Alia chirped. "He'll be with me."

His jaw hardened. "Promise."

"I promise to try to be safe," I recited.

"I promise to try to keep him safe," Alia said holding her hand over her heart like she was pledging an oath.

He stood then, "I'll see you tomorrow," He said.


	18. First Kisses

I went to class, feeling dutiful. I couldn't honestly say what happened in Biology; my mind was too preoccupied with thoughts of tomorrow. I wasn't looking forward to talking about my embarrassing incident from last week. But I was looking forward to being with Alia outside of school.

In Gym, Kate wished me a good time in Seattle.

"Are you going to Seattle with Cullen?" she asked.

"Yes, and Alia."

"Oh." she was suddenly sulky.

"Kate." I started.

"No." She said. "I'm ok! It's just. I kind of miss having you around at lunch." I thought about it, and I realized that these past few days I'd been exclusively hanging out with Alia and Edward. I'd been ignoring my other friends. I began to feel guilty over that.

"Edward," I said slowly, "… is shy. Alia and I are warming him up."

"Are you saying you're going to come back next week?"

"I'll see what I can do."

Kate smiled and hugged me.

When the school day had ended, I walked to the parking lot. Alia was waiting for me in our usual spot near the exit. She grinned when she saw me.

"Sup Handsome." She said.

"Not much, Gorgeous," I replied. Her grin widened, and we got into her car. The ride home started quiet, but I plucked up the nerve to give her the full Edward treatment.

"So, what's up with your family?" I sprang on her.

"Huh?" She chirped.

"Are you witches or something?"

Alia burst into laughter. "Witches? What gave you that idea?"

"Jacob." I admitted, "He said something about werewolves and I figured we were going down a list of Halloween costumes ideas."

"When did you see Jacob?"

"Hey, I'm asking the questions here." I flashed a grin at her.

"Oh! Ok." Alia glanced at me. "Well, me and my family aren't witches. We're a human family of vampire hunters." My eyebrows shot up. That made a lot of random things I'd noticed into place. "My mom builds stuff to destroy vampires, and my dad actually fights vampires."

"Woah," I said. "So, you're more of a Van Helsing."

"Ha!" Alia giggled, "I'm related to one on my dad's side. Matt Helsing; fourth cousin twice removed."

"What?" I said.

"Yup. We're all Dutch on that side."

"And on your mom's side?"

"Chinese." She said, smiling at the road ahead.

"And…?" I encouraged.

"Well, they fight vampires too," Alia explained. "They were more craftsmen of vampire weapons."

"Is your family why you're so mean towards Edward?"

Alia pressed her lips together and thought.

"I've got conflicted feeling towards him." She finally said. "I know Edward and his family are… domesticated." She paused. "I haven't told my parents about him yet. They're mad, and they'll react badly." She slumped. "I'm afraid they'll hurt him."

"So, you do like him?" I felt a pang in my chest. I didn't want her to like him.

"I don't hate him," Alia said firmly. "I believe that he didn't kill my aunt and I believe that he'll do anything to protect you. But…" she turned to me. "He's still a vampire. I'm just nervous around him."

How do you feel about me? Kate had asked me that, and now, I wanted to know how Alia felt about me.

"Do you…?" I started, but then I bit my tongue and looked away. "How do you…?"

"What?" She asked.

I was too chicken to follow through. "Nothing. Is there something you want to ask me?"

"Sure. Do you live here?" She pulled up to my house.

"Huh," I said. "Yeah, I do."

As I got ready to leave, Alia put her hand on my arm. I looked back at her. She leaned towards me and kissed me on the cheek. I blushed.

"See you tomorrow." She whispered. I leaned forward and gently pressed my lips against hers. She didn't pull away. Time seemed to hold still. We pulled back slowly. Her face was beaming, and her cheeks were rosy.

"Yeah." I breathed. "See you."

When I got home, I texted Teddy on the pretense of wishing them luck at the dance. When they offered the same wish for my day in Seattle, I told them that I'd be going with Alia and Edward. They were pretty psyched about that. They immediately brought the conversation in a crude direction. I said goodbye quickly after that.

Charlie was absentminded at dinner, worried over something at work, I guessed, or maybe a basketball game, or perhaps he was just really enjoying the lasagna — it was hard to tell with Charlie.

After dinner, I folded clothes and moved another load through the dryer. It was the kind of job that only keeps hands busy. My mind definitely had too much free time, and it was getting out of control. I fluctuated between anticipation and nervousness. I could still feel Alia's lips on mine, and I became flustered. She was so cute at lunch when she vowed to protect me. So, Alia… fought vampires. Huh, that sort of made her more attractive. Then I thought about Edward. He wanted me to be safe too. The he looks he gave me, the anguish in his eyes, fluttered into my mind. I had to accept that it was very probable that he had feelings for me. I still didn't know what to make of that. He knew my feelings yet, he was still hanging out with me. It suddenly occurred to me: vampires, werewolves, Van Helsing; since I'd come to Forks, my life was becoming more supernatural.

A tiny voice in the back of my mind worried, wondering what sort of disaster could occur… if it ended badly.

I was relieved when it was late enough to be acceptable for bedtime. I knew I was going to have to wake up early tomorrow, so I set up what I would wear, and I packed my Medic bag. With everything ready for the morning, I finally lay in my bed. I felt hyper; I couldn't stop smiling. See you tomorrow. Her voice echoed in my thoughts. She was my first kiss. Her face after the kiss; it was so shy. Was I her first kiss too? I squirmed with excitement. I felt hyper; I couldn't stop twitching. I got up and rifled through my shoebox of CDs until I found a collection of Chopin's nocturnes. I put that on very quietly and then lay down again, concentrating on relaxing individual parts of my body. Somewhere in the middle of that exercise, I slid into unconsciousness.


	19. Luci

I woke up feeling well rested, then slipped right back into the same school-boy frenzy from the night before. I flailed my limbs around in celebration of yesterday's event (a.k.a. my first kiss!). Then I checked my phone. 6:15. Oh crap! I bounced out of bed and got dressed in a rush, smoothing my collar against my neck, fidgeting with the tan sweater till it hung right over my jeans. I took a swift look out the window to see if Charlie was already gone. He wasn't. A thin, cottony layer of clouds veiled the sky. They didn't look very lasting.

I ate breakfast without tasting the food, tossing my dishes in the sink when I was done. I peeked out the window again, but nothing had changed. I had just finished brushing my teeth and was heading back downstairs when a quiet rap on the door knocked my home into silence.

Suddenly calm, I took a deep breath and walked to the front door. I unlatched deadbolt, and there they were. My heart jumped into my throat when I saw Alia. She was wearing the dress she got at Port Angeles with a button up sweater. Yeah, she was hot. She blushed as soon as she saw me and that made me feel good.

"Morning, Handsome." She said bashfully. Yeah, it was...

Next to her was Edward. He wasn't smiling at first — his face was somber. But then his expression lightened as he looked me over, and he laughed.

"Good morning," he chuckled. Alia looked at him quizzically.

"What's wrong?" I glanced down to make sure I hadn't forgotten anything important, like shoes, or pants.

"We match." He laughed again, this time Alia joined in. I realized he had a long, light tan sweater on, with a white-collar showing underneath, and blue jeans. I laughed with them, hiding a secret twinge of regret — why did he have to look like a runway model when I couldn't?

I locked the door behind me while they walked to the Volvo. I got in the passenger side, Edward got in the driver's seat, and Alia got in the back. As I looked back at her, I couldn't help noticing that she'd brought a heavy looking bright-pink backpack.

"Alright boys," She sang, "Buckle up!" We complied.

By the time we were actually off, it was seven o'clock. I had prepared for this! It was why I had said that we had to leave so early. I decided to organize what I was going to say to my new endocrinologist. I pulled a notepad out of my Medic bag and started writing out my thoughts.

"What are you thinking?" Edward asked impatiently after a few moments.

I lied again. "About our friends at school."

"Really?" Alia asked. Edward quickly glanced at her.

"Yeah." I mused. "They miss us."

"Miss you maybe." Alia grinned. "The Chief's super cool son."

"Really?" I asked.

"Well," Edward said. "My family appears unrelatable and to themselves. You are very outgoing and friendly."

"And I got a feeling that Kate doesn't like me," Alia said. Well, I couldn't argue with any of those points.

"Teddy likes you," I noted. "They're hoping that the three of us will join their table at lunch this Monday."

"We can do that!" Alia said excitedly. Edward didn't say anything, he looked uncomfortable.

"Edward?" I asked.

"I'll see. I make no promises."

"Don't worry Mr. Vampire," Alia said in a fake gruff voice. "I'll keep you in line!" She ruffled his hair, and he tilted his head away from her.

"Don't distract the driver Ms. Vetcher." He said playfully

At this point, I was only half paying attention. Alia started talking again, but I was focusing on my list. Everything was pretty good so far; the only thing I really needed to bring up was the incident from last week.

"What's that?" Alia cut in. I looked at her. I wasn't sure I wanted to tell her about me yet but… our kiss...

"I'll tell you," I said hesitantly. "If we get a moment alone?" Edward glanced at me, a smile playing at his lips. Alia eyes bounced from me to him and back; she looked little concerned.

"Ok." She said.

After I finished my short list, the three of us talked about nothing substantial for the rest of the ride. We got there at ten o'clock. I should have guessed that Edward's crazy driving would have shaved some time off. We stopped off at a restaurant that wasn't too far from my doctor's appointment. Apparently, Alia had skipped breakfast. She had a salad, a 'hungry man's breakfast' and a wrap.

"Where do you keep it all?" I asked jokingly.

"Haha." Alia finished up the last bite of her meal.

"Probably her muscles," Edward said. "You get a lot of exercises." Alia blushed and looked out the window with her lips puckered. Edward rolled his eyes. I chuckled.

At ten to eleven, I left for my appointment.

Once I checked in with the receptionist, I sat down with the forms she gave me and started to fill them out. I was about halfway through when I was interrupted.

"Hello." A soft voice chimed. I looked up. The young woman, who was now sitting next to me, looked… interesting. She had black hair, blond bangs, and a red evening dress. She looked like she came here after a dinner date.

"Uh, hi." I gave a curt nod and then returned to my forms.

"Nice weather we're having, ya?" the woman asked. When I looked back at her, she was leaning towards me; looking at me with an amused expression. Her face was so close to mine.

"Uh, yes. Yes, it is." Why was I so flustered by her?

"I for one, enjoy dark, gloomy days." She said tilting her head slightly. She was talking to me like we were old friends.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?"

"Oh." She perked up. "I'm Lucy."

"Lucy," I repeated.

"Yeah." She sighed contentedly. "Luci, with an I. What's your name?" I didn't see much harm in telling her.

"It's Jack." I said, "nice to meet you." I continued my forms.

"Likewise." She sang. "Do you come here often?"

"Uh." I shifted in my seat. "No, this is my first time here."

"Oh! Same."

I peeked up at her. She was still leaning close to me.

"So, why are you here?" She asked.

I scowled. She was a bit nosey. "I don't really want to go into that. Why are you here?"

"I'm here because my doctor told me to come here." She replied, "Somethings about hormone levels. I didn't understand it though." I finished up my papers and brought them to the receptionist. She told me that the endocrinologist would be with me soon. I sat back down next to Luci.

"Do you live near here?" Luci asked.

"Uh, no." Why did she want to know?

"Oh?" She seemed interested. "Why did you come here then?"

"Uh, I liked the endocrinologist here."

"Ah, I see." She mused musically.

"Wait." I realized something. "If this is your first time here, why don't you have forms to fill out."

"I did fill them out." She said. "I did them before you came in. I returned from the bathroom." I looked away, feeling embarrassed. It was rude to be so suspicious of a person I just met. She went quiet for a bit as we waited.

"You're cute."

I started and looked at her. She seemed to be examining my face.

"You don't look that old. Sixteen?"

"Seventeen." I breathed. I was getting a very odd vibe from her.

"Ah." She gave me a crooked smile. "Close but no cigar."

I smiled politely. "I guess I look a little young for my age."

"Guess my age." She chimed.

"I, uh… hmmm." I stammered. I looked at her more closely. "Twenty?"

"You flatter!" She exclaimed. "I'm twenty-five."

"Guess you look young for your age too." I chuckled nervously. I glanced at my phone. 11:12. I figured the endocrinologist was running a bit late.

"Do you have any change on you?" She asked. I glanced at her.

"Um, yes. I think so."

She looked me in the eye. "Give it to me." Wow, rude. Didn't her mother teach her to say please and thank you?

"What, why?" I asked. She looked taken aback but, quickly regained her composure.

"There's a vending machine down the hall, and I'm thirsty." She said. "But, I don't have any change on me."

"Oh," I said. "I only have a couple of quarters. I don't think it'll be enough."

"Huh," Luci said. "Ok."

"Jack LeFleche?" The receptionist said. I got up and followed the receptionist.

"Bye LeFleche," Luci called. I glanced over my shoulder at her as she waved at me. What a weirdo.

When I went with the nurse, who took my blood and led me to an exam room. Dr. Evens came in, and we got to know each other a little bit. She had my chart from my previous doctor and was pretty happy about how I was progressing. She wasn't concerned when I told her about last Friday. She said that periods can come back even when you're on T and that a lack of any other symptoms meant that this was the new normal for my body. I wasn't too thrilled about that so, she scheduled me for another appointment in a couple of months. She wanted to see if my blood levels were normal before messing with my T levels. She gave me a new prescription that I could fill out downstairs and threw out the old needles that I had in my bag.

On my way out, I noticed that Luci wasn't there anymore. I guess she'd been called in too? I went to the pharmacy and got my new set of Testosterone Shots.


	20. Mind Over Matter

*Alia's P.O.V.*

We arrived in Seattle a full hour before Jack's appointment, so I decided that we should stop by a little restaurant. Jack had already eaten breakfast at home, so he had a tea. Edward just got water. I, however, was famished so I ordered a full meal.

"Where do you keep it all?" Jack asked jokingly.

"Haha," I replied, matching his tone. I naturally burned a lot of calories by existing; my parents had been training me and my sister to fight vampires since we were three.

"Probably her muscles," Edward said musically. "You get a lot of exercise." I felt my face grow warm and I pushed all my thoughts down and focused on my favorite song; Edward rolled his eyes. This was so routine that Jack realized what was going on a started to chuckle.

"Hey," Jack said suddenly. "What time is it?" This was a rhetorical question as he was pulling his phone out of his pocket to check but he still got an answer from me (I was looking at a clock that was hung on the wall) and Edward (who just knew, I guess) in unison.

"10:50." Edward and I glanced at each other.

"Shoot, I got to go." Jack got up to leave. He started rummaging in his other pocket. "How much do I owe you?" How considerate of him!

"Jack," I said. "You ordered a 2-dollar tea. I got it covered."

"Are you sure?" Jack seemed embarrassed.

"Yeah," I said encouragingly.

"If you don't go now, you'll be late." Edward pointed out. Jack got antsy and shoved everything into his pockets.

"Ok." He said. "Meet you back here?" Edward and I nodded. Jack smiled and rushed out the door; leaving me and Edward alone again. This morning, in the car ride over to Jack's place, we hadn't said much to each other. I had been kind of tired, and he was… well, he was Edward. But, when the three of us were together, we were like old friends. It made me feel like Edward really cared about Jack, and that made me feel… somehow scared and reassured at the same time. I looked at him.

It was hard to deny that Edward was handsome. It was no wonder all the girls at school swooned over him. I even have to admit that the first time I'd seen Edward I had a bit of a crush on him. I'd always thought his family was just reserved.

Thinking of attractive men sent my mind towards Jack. At first, I'd been interested in Jack just as the new student, but I've found my feelings blooming into something more.

"How's your relationship with Jack?" Edward asked out of the blue. What a creep!

"Like you don't know," I said, not bothering to pull up my song.

"I'm trying not to be too nosy," Edward said, his face emotionless.

"It's good," I said. Jack's lips flashed in my mind, his smell, his face afterward; so bashful… I glanced up at Edward and saw that he was gripping the side of the table.

"Not being nosy, my butt!" I exclaimed. "You're peeking!"

"I'm sorry." Edward struggled. "You think so loud."

As punishment, I hummed my tune in my head and out loud. Edward leaned back, crossed his arms and tossed his head back.

"Must you always hum that song?" he complained quietly.

"Is there something else you'd like me to hum," I asked sarcastically. I continued humming while he leaned in silence.

"I like Elvis."

I stopped humming. "Huh? Like Elvis Presley?"

"Music was good in the 50's." He smiled at my expression. "Much better than the 60's or the 70's." He shuddered.

I thought for a second, then I started humming my favorite Elvis song in my head. Edward perked up with an intrigued expression.

"Hound Dog?"

"Yup." I smiled. "My grandpa used to play Elvis all the time. That one's my favorite."

"Nice," Edward said genuinely smiling.

"Were you around when that song came out?" I asked. Edward looked up seemingly debating whether he should answer or not.

"Yes."

"Really! How old are you?" I asked. Edward smirked.

"We're in the same grade, Alia."

"Yeah, ok." I rolled my eyes, "You died at age 17. But you've been 17 for a while. How long have you been around?"

Edward shifted in his seat. "It may make you uncomfortable."

"You're a vampire." I pointed out. "I'm uncomfortable around you on principle."

"I was born in Chicago in 1901." He paused and glanced at me from the corner of his eyes. My face was definitely not surprised; a lot of vampires my parents killed were way past their 200's. "Carlisle found me in a hospital in the summer of 1918. I was 17, and dying of the Spanish influenza."

He heard my intake of breath, though it was barely audible to my own ears. He looked up into my eyes again.

"I don't remember it well — it was a very long time ago, and human memories fade." He was lost in his thoughts for a short time before he went on. "I do remember how it felt when Carlisle saved me. It's not an easy thing, not something you could forget."

"I guess you don't remember your parents?"

"They had already died from the disease. I was alone." I looked down. I felt bad for human Edward. "That was why he chose me. In all the chaos of the epidemic, no one would ever realize I was gone."

"Why didn't he just kill you?"

A few seconds passed before he answered. He seemed to choose his words carefully.

"He acted from loneliness. That's usually the reason behind the choice. I was the first in Carlisle's family, though he found Esme soon after. She fell from a cliff. They brought her straight to the hospital morgue, though, somehow, her heart was still beating."

"Do you have to be dying to…" He cut me off.

"No, that's just Carlisle. He would never do that to someone who had another choice." The respect in his voice was profound whenever he spoke of his father figure. "It is easier he says, though," he continued, "if the blood is weak."

I could tell from the set of his lips, he would say no more on this subject, so I changed it.

"Have you ever dated anyone?" I asked. He looked at me startled.

"What, did I surprise you?" I smirked.

"You talk before you think." He said. "It makes you hard to predict."

"Then stop trying!" I shrugged. He scoffed.

"Yes." He said. "I had a girlfriend once. She was…" He stopped. "Problematic."

"Why?" I asked.

"Who's being nosy now?"

"What? I don't go snooping into other people's heads." I said dramatically faking insult. He smiled.

"You're really interesting." He noted. He sounded surprised.

"Thanks." I chirped. Then I paused. Was that a thinly veiled insult?

"No," Edward answered. "I honestly think your mind is interesting." I pouted and looked out the window humming my new favorite tune. Edward smiled and leaned back with his hands raised apologetically.

"Right, sorry." He said. He returned to his previous posture. "It's just sort of freeing to be myself around someone not in my family." I stopped and looked at him. Oh, that's actually really sad. I hadn't realized that he'd always have to be a diluted, fake version of himself at school. I related to him all of a sudden. There was so much of me I wasn't allowed to talk to others about. Sure, I didn't have as much to hide as he did but…

"Does it bother you that my family kills vampires?" I asked quietly. Edward's eyebrows raised a little bit.

"No."

That surprised me, and not in a good way. "Why not?"

"Because most of the guys you kill deserve it." His expression darkened. "They prey on humans; torment them."

It's true. They did. I guess I expected him to defend his kind like I'd defend mine. Sure, we have humans who murder others but, I'd still be disgusted at a family that killed those humans. I faced the window again, not really looking at anything.

"We're monsters, Alia," Edward said. I looked at him. "Everything about us is designed to lure humans in so we can kill them. Some of us take advantage of that. It's unforgivable."

"I know that," I said. "I guess it saddens me to understand where you're coming from. Because I do understand."

He nodded. "We're sort of both in an odd position."

I peeked at him; we were both sad. Suddenly, he brightened.

"He's back."

I looked out the window. Jack was walking towards the door. As he came in, I waved at him. He looked… annoyed? I wonder why. Edward, looking over his shoulder, waved at Jack too.

"Welcome back, Handsome," I said.

"Great to be back, Gorgeous." He replied, the irritation fading rather quickly.


	21. Confessions

"Welcome back Handsome!" Alia said cheerfully to me. Her voice quenched the envy in me. I felt a little ashamed that I was constantly jealous of Edward's effect on women and his growing relationship with my girlfriend. I paused for a second… of course, I should consult Alia first before I start calling her my girlfriend. A rabble of butterflies bloomed in my stomach. Alia and Edward stood up. We walked to the counter, and Edward paid for us. As we were leaving, he turned to us.

"Hey, It's only eleven-forty." he pointed out. "What should we do for the rest of the day?"

When the plan was for me to come on my own, I was going to go back home and spend the rest of the day on homework and naps. But now, I wanted to hang out more with my two cool friends.

"I don't know." I shrugged. Alia was prepared for this.

"Let's catch a movie and then head home!" She said enthusiastically. Edward and I didn't have any objections, so we went.

Alia recognized the actress from one of her favorite movies from last year, so we went to that movie. It was about a detective who had to solve a mystery in her home town. Edward seemed very uncomfortable in the crowd, so we sat at the back of the theater. Alia chatted throughout the whole movie; she made jokes and comments. I thought it was pretty funny.

"The people in front of us can hear you two," Edward whispered with a chuckle. He seemed to enjoy Alia's commentary too. Alia made an effort to speak more quietly, but a few of her comments made me laugh out loud, which made Edward laugh too. The people in front of us didn't say anything, but Edward kept glancing to them.

We talked about the movie on the drive home. The conversation morphed several times, and it eventually landed on who was going to go home first.

"How about you drop me and Jack off at my place, and I drop him off after?" Alia asked. She looked at Edward with a knowing look. She glanced at me and then back to Edward. He didn't look at her, but he nodded.

"Alright." He said. "That works." Alia smiled and sat leaned back in her seat. I looked at them. What was that about? Something about that exchange sort of bothered me. But, then I realized that Alia was trying to get alone time with me and that made me feel a bit giddy.

We continued our nonsensical conversation all the way to Alia's place. Alia and I hopped out of the car. We waved to Edward as he sped off. Alia surprised me by turning away from her house and walking down the road. I rushed after her.

"Hey, where are you going?" I asked. She looked at me and smiled sadly.

"I want to take a walk with you." She said. "Also, I wanted to ask you something." A pit formed in my stomach.

"Oh. What was it?"

She looked around. She seemed unsure of what to say. "Is there something you want to tell me?" She asked. I looked at her.

"Like what?"

She looked down, disappointed. "You and Edward keep stepping around something. Like your appointment today. Edward knows why you went." She stopped and looked at me. "Are you ok?" I stopped too.

"Yes," I answered. "I'm ok."

She huffed. "What does Edward know that you don't want me to know?" She was… mad at me. "Did he…" Her voice caught. "Are… are you dead?"

I felt my jaw go slack and my eyes widen. I suddenly felt guilty. She knew that Edward and I had a secret between us and her mind jumped to the most logical conclusion: that Edward had killed me and turned me into a vampire. It was no wonder why she was so nervous around him. I looked at my feet. I had been inadvertently causing her so much stress in this already strenuous part of her life.

"No," I said. "That's not it. I'm sorry that I made you think that." She nodded, clearly relieved.

"Oh, thank God." She sighed. "Woof! That's a load off my shoulders!" She smiled at me.

"How long have you been worrying about that?" I asked.

"Since last Friday." She answered. "When Teddy told me you were bleeding to death, I remembered we were doing the blood type exercise, and I thought Edward had… you know…" She held up two fingers, jabbed them towards her neck and stuck her tongue out in an exaggerated shocked expression. I winced. We started walking again.

"Well. There is something about me that he knows." I looked at her. She was smiling now, her posture straighter; like a literal load had been taken away from her. I wasn't sure I was ready to dump another on her. But, I wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend, and if I wanted that, she was going to need to know this part of me.

"I'm not sure how to tell you." I chuckled nervously.

"Just say it." Alia chirped. I looked at her. "Edward told us that he was a vampire, I told you guys that I'm a vampire slayer and we were both supposed to keep that to ourselves." She smiled at me. "If there's something you want to tell me, just say it. Unless you're not ready. As long as I know you're not dead, everything's fine."

Just say it.

"I am a transgender man." I blurted. I turned away to hide my inevitable blush. Alia stopped but, remained silent. I peeked at her. She stared at me, her mind working.

"Sorry." She said. "I'm not sure what that means. Could you explain?" My face somehow managed to get even more blushed. My whole face must have been red!

"I was born in a girl's body," I explained. "But, I'm actually a boy! That's why I had to go to the doctor's today. I'm transitioning my body from the wrong gender to the right one."

Alia's lips puckered as she thought. She stood, looking up, for a few seconds. My heart raced in my chest. I was scared of what she'd say. I was afraid that she'd reject me. Even worse, I was afraid she'd be mad that I kissed her. With every second that passed my spirits fell. She'd feel tricked; catfished! How could she like someone like me? I didn't think she'd tell anyone, but this could change how she thought about me; how she felt about me.

"So, what you're saying…" She said carefully. "Is that you were assigned female at birth, but you identify as male?" She summarized it so perfectly, so neutrally. She didn't sound mad, just that she was stating a fact. I nodded.

"Yes," I said. I kept looking at my shoes.

"Huh," Alia said. "Ok." She started walking. I followed slightly behind her. After a few paces, she looked back at me.

"You ok?" She asked.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked. She slowed her pace, so we'd be side by side then she took my hand. I looked at our hands.

"No." She said. "That must have been tough to say." She stopped and turned to me. "Thank you for telling me." She smiled.

"Does this change the way you see me?" I asked.

"No," Alia said. I looked at her face. Her expression was warm and happy. "The way I see it is, you're a guy; a really nice guy. There's a small quirk about you, but that's it. Everyone has quirks." She leaned towards me and winked. "At least you've never killed anyone. Have you?"

"N-no!" I stammered.

"Good." She pulled my sweater quickly, tipping me off balance and kissed me; passionately and purposefully. I tentatively wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer to me.

"Wow," I said. Her blush looked terrific in the glow of dusk.

"Yeah." She breathed. "Wow." She gestured her head to her home. "Come, I'll drive you home."

We talked idly about the movie we saw today. We mostly enjoyed each other's company. When we neared my house, I finally dared to ask the big question.

"Hey, before I go," I whispered. "I want to ask you something."

"Why are we whispering?" Alia asked, a crooked smile forming on her lips.

"I want to ask you to be my…" I felt my face blush hard. "Girlfriend." Alia blinked at me. Then she turned away from me and covered her face. This wasn't the response I was expecting, and it threw me for a second. I wasn't sure what it meant until she turned around again, brimming with excitement.

"Ok." She said. I smiled. I'll bet she turned away to squeal silently. We kissed again. As I got out, my girlfriend waved at me and then drove off.


	22. The Cullens

The muted light of yet another cloudy day eventually woke me. I lay with my arm across my eyes, groggy and dazed. Something, a dream trying to be remembered, struggled to break into my consciousness. I moaned and rolled on my side, hoping more sleep would come. I slit my eyes open, and my heart just about stopped. Peeking in from the corner of my window was a familiar pair of topaz eyes.

I snapped my eyes open and just like that they were gone. Not wanting to alarm my dad and knowing that Edward had extremely sensitive hearing I hissed under my breath:

"Edward! I see you there! What the ****?!"

I glared at the window for a few seconds. Eventually, Edward peeked in the frame again.

"What are you doing there?" I whispered. Edward opened my window and poked his head in.

"Can I come in?" He asked. I pulled the sheets over my shoulders.

"What?" I exclaimed, "Why?"

"Because it'd be more comfortable." He said as a matter of fact. I sighed. I had to remember that he wasn't really a human.

"Let me get some clothes on first then you can come in." I rolled out of bed. "You creep," I added quietly, knowing he could hear it.

I got some clothes out of my closet and went to the bathroom. After I brushed my teeth, I splashed my face with cold water and got dressed. When I returned, Edward was still perched on my window sill. It would've been incredibly goofy if it wasn't so creepy. I waved him in once I finished making my bed. He appeared in the corner of my room. I rubbed my eyes with my hands

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"I was curious about you." He said simply. "What else is there to do at night?"

I frowned at the implication of that last part.

"Wait." I asked slowly." How often do you spy on me?"

"Hmmm?" He sounded as if I had pulled him from some other train of thought.

I threw a sock at him. "How often did you come here?"

"I come here almost every night."

I was stunned. "Wha-why?"

"You're interesting when you sleep." He spoke meekly. "You talk."

"You!" I gasped, heat flooding my face all the way to my hairline. I knew I talked in my sleep, of course; my mother teased me about it. I hadn't thought it was something I needed to worry about here, though.

His expression shifted instantly to chagrin. "Are you angry with me?"

"This is really creepy, Edward!" I hissed. "Really creepy!"

Instantly, silently, he was at my side.

"Don't be upset!" he pleaded. He dropped his face to the level of my eyes, holding my gaze. I was embarrassed.

"You miss your mother," he whispered. "You worry about her. And when it rains, the sound makes you restless. You used to talk about home a lot, but it's less often now. Once you said, 'It's too green.'" He laughed softly, hoping, I could see, not to offend me further.

"Anything else?" I asked sarcastically.

"You did say my name," he admitted. My eyes widened.

"What?"

"And Alia's; quite a bit actually."

"You are making this SO much worse!" I curled away from him.

"Are you going to stop being friends with me?" Edward asked worriedly.

"I- -!" I sighed. "No."

He waited.

"Why?" he urged.

"Well." I started. "I feel like you don't know any better." He tilted his head. "You're like an animal. Like, you're rusty at being human."

He waited for me to continue, growing anxious when I didn't. "Are you scared?" he asked.

I waited for a minute to answer so the words would be true. "No. I'm fine."

He seemed to deliberate for a moment. "I'm curious now, though," he said, his voice light again. "Have you asked Alia… ?" He trailed off suggestively.

"Not.. any of your business!" I flushed.

"I heard her thoughts from my place." He informed me. "The mental equivalent of screaming." I got to admit, that made me feel good. But, it also made me realize that Edward knew that Alia was my girlfriend now. Alia, Edward and I weren't going to be able to keep any secrets between us anymore; were we?

"I told you I've never felt like this about anyone before, not even close." I sighed. "This is a first for me."

"I know. It's just that I usually know other people's thoughts."

I sighed. "Your human instincts…" I began. He waited. "Well, do you find anyone attractive, in that way, at all?"

He smiled sadly.

"Yes." the implication was obvious.

"And you know how I feel," I said carefully.

"Yes. But, you're a very interesting person." He insisted. "I like being with you just to see what you'll do."

"Ok." I sighed and got off my bed.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"If you want," I said. "I got to go wake Charlie up."

"He left an hour ago." Edward pointed out. I paused.

"Oh yeah." I murmured. I sat back on the bed and lay down. There was nothing more to say for the moment. I had to admit that now that I wasn't mad at him, I didn't mind him here; he was good company. I closed my eyes and rested.

"Breakfast time," he said eventually, casually — to prove, I'm sure, that he remembered all my human frailties.

So, I sat up, clutched my throat with both hands and stared at him with wide eyes. Shock crossed his face.

"Kidding." I snickered.

He frowned in disgust. "That wasn't funny."

"Hey man, you're the one who broke into my house." But I examined his gold eyes carefully, to make sure that I was forgiven. Apparently, I was. I flopped back down.

"Shall I rephrase?" he asked. "Breakfast time for the human."

"In a minute," I said.

I'm relatively sure he waited an actual minute before he poked my side; I flinched away from him. He poked me again. I shooed his hand away.

"What?" I asked.

"You need to eat." He sounded concerned.

"Alright." I sighed. I got up and walked downstairs. The kitchen was bright, happy, seeming to absorb my mood. Edward swooshed past me and sat at the table.

"What's for breakfast?" I asked.

That threw him for a minute.

"Er, I'm not sure. What would you like?" His marble lips puckered.

I chuckled at his expression.

"That's all right, I fend for myself pretty well. Watch me hunt."

I found a bowl and a box of cereal. I could feel his eyes on me as I poured the milk and grabbed a spoon. I sat my food on the table and then paused.

"Can I get you anything?" I asked, not wanting to be rude.

He rolled his eyes. "Just eat, Jack."

I sat at the table, watching him as I took a bite. He was gazing at me, studying my every movement. It made me self-conscious. I cleared my mouth to speak, to distract him.

"What's on the agenda for today?" I asked.

"Hmmm…" I watched him frame his answer carefully. "What would you say to meeting my family?"

I choked on my milk.

"What?" I exclaimed.

"They're very curious about you," Edward said, avoiding the question.

"Everyone in your family is curious about me I see," I muttered.

"Please?" Edward put his hands together. "They're really looking forward to meeting you." I shrugged.

"Should I ask Alia if she wants to come?" I asked pulling out my phone.

"Um. I'd prefer not." Edward winced. "My family is very wary of her family. It would be very uncomfortable."

"Should I be afraid?" I asked.

"Don't worry." He smirked. "I'll protect you."

"I'm sure you will," I said, texting Alia.

"What are you telling her?" Edward asked.

"Just that I'll be at your place," I said absentmindedly.

\+ Spending day at Edward's. Just me though. That ok?

\- Yeah. I get it. Text me when you're back home K?

\+ Will do. Laters.

I put my phone in my pocket and finished my cereal.

"I hope they like me," I muttered as I rinsed out my bowl

"Oh, they already know everything. They'd taken bets yesterday, you know" — he smiled, but his voice was harsh — "on whether I'd bring you back, though why anyone would bet against Alice, I can't imagine. At any rate, we don't have secrets in the family. It's not really feasible, what with Alice's and my mind reading."

"Woof." I scoffed.

When we went out, I couldn't help but notice that his car wasn't here.

"Hey, how'd you get here?" I asked.

"I walked." He said. "We'll take your truck."

"Alright," I said. I realized as I drove my truck out of the central part of town that I had no idea where he lived; he gave me directions. We passed over the bridge at the Calawah River, the road winding northward, the houses flashing past us growing farther apart, getting bigger. And then we were past the other houses altogether, driving through a misty forest. His home was down an unpaved road. It was unmarked, barely visible among the ferns. The forest encroached on both sides, leaving the road ahead only discernible for a few meters as it twisted, serpent-like, around the ancient trees.

And then, after a few miles, there was some thinning of the woods, and we were suddenly in a small meadow, or was it actually a lawn? The gloom of the forest didn't relent, though, for there were six primordial cedars that shaded an entire acre with their vast sweep of branches. The trees held their protecting shadow right up to the walls of the house that rose among them, making obsolete the deep porch that wrapped around the first story.

I don't know what I had expected, but it definitely wasn't this. The house was timeless, graceful, and probably a hundred years old. It was painted a soft, faded white, three stories tall, rectangular and well proportioned. The windows and doors were either part of the original structure or a perfect restoration.

My truck was the only car in sight. I could hear the river close by, hidden in the obscurity of the forest.

"Wow."

"You like it?" He smiled.

"This is not how I was expecting today to turn out."

He chuckled. "Ready?" he asked, opening my door.

"Not even a little bit — let's go." I tried to laugh, but it seemed to get stuck in my throat. I smoothed my shirt nervously.

"You look great." He reached for my hand without thinking about it; I jerked my hand away. He seemed flustered, but he smiled. We walked through the deep shade up to the porch. He opened the door for me.

The inside was even more surprising, less predictable, than the exterior. It was very bright, very open, and very large. This must have been initially several rooms, but the walls had been removed from most of the first floor to create one vast space. The back, south-facing wall had been entirely replaced with glass, and, beyond the shade of the cedars, the lawn stretched bare to the wide river. A massive curving staircase dominated the west side of the room. The walls, the high-beamed ceiling, the wooden floors, and the thick carpets were all varying shades of white.

Waiting to greet us, standing just to the left of the door, on a raised portion of the floor by a spectacular grand piano, were Edward's parents.

I'd seen Dr. Cullen before, of course, yet I couldn't help but be struck again by his youth. At his side was Esme, I assumed, the only one of the family I'd never seen before. She had the same pale, beautiful features as the rest of them. Something about her heart-shaped face, her billows of soft, caramel-colored hair, reminded me of the ingénues of the silent-movie era. She was small, slender, yet less angular, more rounded than the others. They were both dressed casually, in light colors that matched the inside of the house. They smiled in welcome but made no move to approach us.

"Carlisle, Esme," Edward's voice broke the short silence, "this is Jack."

"You're very welcome, Jack." Carlisle's step was measured, careful as he approached me. He raised his hand tentatively, and I stepped forward to shake hands with him.

"It's nice to see you again, Dr. Cullen."

"Please, call me Carlisle."

"Carlisle." I grinned at him, sounding much more confident than I actually felt. I could feel Edward's relief at my side.

Esme smiled and stepped forward as well, reaching for my hand. Her cold, stone grasp was just as I expected.

"It's very nice to meet you," she said sincerely.

"Thank you. I'm glad to meet you, too." And it was. It was like meeting Snow White, in the flesh.

"Where are Alice and Jasper?" Edward asked, but no one answered, as they had just appeared at the top of the wide staircase.

"Hey, Edward!" Alice called enthusiastically. She ran down the stairs, a streak of black hair and white skin, coming to a sudden and graceful stop in front of me. Carlisle and Esme shot warning glances at her, but I liked it. It was natural — for her, anyway.

"Hi, Jack!" Alice said, and she bounced forward to kiss my cheek. If Carlisle and Esme had looked cautious before, they now looked staggered. There was shock in my eyes, too. I was startled to feel Edward stiffen at my side. I glanced at his face, but his expression was unreadable.

"You do smell nice, I never noticed before," she commented, to my extreme embarrassment.

"I…! Uh, thank you." I stammered.

"Huh." Alice frowned. "Still can't hear you. Complete radio silence. So weird!"

No one else seemed to know quite what to say, and then Jasper was there — tall and leonine.

"Hello, Jack," Jasper said. He kept his distance, not offering to shake my hand.

"Hello, Jasper." I smiled at him shyly, and then at the others. "It's nice to meet you all — you have a gorgeous home," I added conventionally.

"Thank you," Esme said. "We're so glad that you came." She spoke with feeling, and I realized that she thought I was brave.

I also realized that Rosalie and Emmett were nowhere to be seen, and I remembered Edward's too-innocent denial when I'd asked him if the others didn't like me.

Carlisle's expression distracted me from this train of thought; he was gazing meaningfully at Edward with an intense expression. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Edward nod once.

I looked away, trying to be polite. My eyes wandered again to the beautiful instrument on the platform by the door. I suddenly remembered my childhood fantasy that, should I ever win a lottery, I would buy a grand piano for my mother. She wasn't really good — she only played for herself on our secondhand upright — but I loved to watch her play. She was happy, absorbed — she seemed like a new, mysterious being to me then, someone outside the "mom" persona I took for granted. She'd even let me take lessons because I wanted to feel that sort of joy in music. I missed the piano.

Esme noticed my preoccupation.

"Do you play?" she asked, inclining her head toward the piano.

I nodded. "Just a little; I'm like super rusty. It's so beautiful. Is it yours?"

"No," she laughed. "Edward didn't tell you he was musical?"

"No." I stared at his suddenly innocent expression with a smirk on my face. "I should have known, I guess."

Esme raised her delicate eyebrows in confusion.

"Edward can do everything, right?" I explained.

Jasper snickered, and Esme gave Edward a reproving look.

"I hope you haven't been showing off— it's rude," she scolded.

"Just a bit," he laughed freely. Her face softened at the sound, and they shared a brief look that I didn't understand, though Esme's face seemed almost smug.

"He's been cool," I tried to cover for him.

"Well, play for him," Esme encouraged.

"You just said showing off was rude," he objected.

"There are exceptions to every rule," she replied.

"Hey, if you know 'Rock Around the Clock' we can do a duet" I volunteered.

"It's settled then." Esme pushed him toward the piano. I followed them and sat on the bench beside him.

He gave me a long, exasperated look before he turned to the keys. I rolled my eyes at him and counted us in.

And then our fingers flowed swiftly across the ivory, and the room was filled with the upbeat rock n' roll tune from the 50's. I made a few slip-ups but, was able to save it. At the end of the song, I smiled.

"Wow. It feels good to play the piano again." I said. Edward started playing another tune I didn't recognize with his right hand.

"Do you write your own music?" He asked, ramping his song up by adding his left hand.

"No, I never got that far," I answered. "Do you?"

"I wrote this one."

My eyebrows raised in astonishment; this was a complex sounding song. It was hard to believe that only one set of hands was playing it. Edward gave a low chuckle at my reaction.

Edward looked at me casually, the music still surging around us without a break. "Do you like it?"

"You wrote this?" I asked.

He nodded. "It's Esme's favorite."

I closed my eyes, shaking my head.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm feeling a bit inferior."

The music slowed, transforming into something softer, like a lullaby weaving through the profusion of notes.

"You inspired this one," he said softly. The music grew unbearably sweet.

I couldn't speak; I didn't want to hear that.

"They like you, you know," he said conversationally. "Esme especially."

I glanced behind me, but the vast room was empty now. I looked at my lap, suddenly feeling overwhelmed.

"What are you thinking?" Edward whispered.

I sighed. "I think I want to go home now."


	23. Warning

It was just beginning to drizzle when Edward and I turned onto my street. He had insisted on coming with me. I guess I didn't mind; as long as I wasn't at his house anymore.

Then I saw the black car, a weathered Ford, parked in Charlie's driveway — and heard Edward mutter something unintelligible in a low, harsh voice.

Leaning away from the rain under the shallow front porch, Jacob Black stood behind his father's wheelchair. Billy's face was impassive as stone as I parked my truck against the curb. Jacob stared down, his expression friendly.

Edward's low voice was furious. "This is crossing the line."

"He came to warn Charlie?" I guessed.

Edward just nodded, answering Billy's gaze through the rain with narrowed eyes.

I was glad that Charlie wasn't home yet.

"Let me deal with this," I suggested. Edward's black glare made me anxious.

To my relief, he agreed. "That's probably best. Be careful, though. The child has no idea."

I bridled a little at the word child. "Jacob is not that much younger than I am," I reminded him.

He looked at me then, his anger abruptly fading. "Oh, I know," he assured me with a grin.

I frowned. "You have no idea how creepy that makes you sound." I put my hand on the door handle.

"Get them inside," he instructed, "so I can leave."

"Do you want my truck?" I offered, meanwhile wondering how I would explain its absence to Charlie.

He rolled his eyes. "I could walk home faster than this truck moves."

"Right, right," I said wistfully.

He threw a dark glance in the Blacks' direction. "I'll see you in school." He grinned widely, showing all of his teeth. I groaned. He was explicitly doing that to provoke Billy.

"Yeah." I opened the door and stepped out into the rain. I could feel his eyes on my back as I half-ran through the light sprinkle toward the porch.

"Hey, Billy. Hi, Jacob." I greeted them as cheerfully as I could manage. "Charlie's gone for the day — I hope you haven't been waiting long."

"Not long," Billy said in a subdued tone. His black eyes were piercing. "I just wanted to bring this up." He indicated a brown paper sack resting in his lap.

"Thanks," I said, though I had no idea what it could be. "Why don't you come in for a minute and dry off?"

I pretended to be oblivious to his intense scrutiny as I unlocked the door and waved them in ahead of me.

"Here, let me take that," I offered, turning to shut the door. I allowed myself one last glance at Edward. He was waiting, perfectly still, his eyes solemn.

"You'll want to put it in the fridge," Billy noted as he handed me the package. "It's some of Harry Clearwater's homemade fish fry — Charlie's favorite. The fridge keeps it drier." He shrugged.

"Thanks," I repeated, but with feeling this time. "I was running out of new fish recipes to give Charlie, and he's bound to bring home more tonight."

"Fishing again?" Billy asked with a subtle gleam in his eye. "Down at the usual spot? Maybe I'll run by and see him."

"Yeah sure," I said quickly; my face went hard when I realized that Billy might start hassling Charlie about Edward. "Actually, he was headed someplace new… but I have no idea where."

He took in my changed expression, and it made him thoughtful.

"Jake," he said, still appraising me. "Why don't you go get that new picture of Rebecca out of the car? I'll leave that for Charlie, too."

"Where is it?" Jacob asked, his voice morose. I glanced at him, but he was staring at the floor, his eyebrows pulling together.

"I think I saw it in the trunk," Billy said. "You may have to dig for it."

Jacob slouched back out into the rain.

Billy and I faced each other in silence. After a few seconds, the quiet started to feel awkward, so I turned and headed to the kitchen. I could hear his wet wheels squeak against the linoleum as he followed.

I shoved the bag onto the crowded top shelf of the fridge and spun around to confront him. His deeply lined face was unreadable.

"Charlie won't be back for a while." I was surprised by how hostile my voice sounded.

He nodded in agreement but said nothing.

He continued gave no sign of moving. I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.

He seemed to sense that I had given up on small talk.

"Jack," he said, and then he hesitated.

I waited.

"Jack," he said again, "Charlie is one of my best friends."

"Yes."

He spoke each word carefully in his rumbling voice. "I noticed you've been spending time with one of the Cullens."

"Yes," I repeated.

His eyes narrowed. "Maybe it's none of my business, but I don't think that is such a good idea."

"You're right," I agreed. "It is none of your business." I scratched the back of my head nervously.

He raised his graying eyebrows at my tone. "You probably don't know this, but the Cullen family has an unpleasant reputation on the reservation."

"Actually, I did know that," I informed him in a hard voice. This surprised him. "But as far as I know the Cullens never set foot on the reservation, right?" I could see that my less than subtle reminder of the agreement that both bound and protected his tribe pulled him up short.

"That's true," he acceded, his eyes guarded. "You seem… well informed about the Cullens. More informed than I expected."

I stared him down. "Maybe even better informed than you are."

He pursed his thick lips as he considered that. "Maybe." he allowed, but his eyes were shrewd. "Is Charlie as well informed?"

He had found the weak chink in my armor.

"Charlie likes the Cullens a lot," I hedged. He clearly understood my evasion. His expression was unhappy but unsurprised.

"It's not my business," he said. "But it may be Charlie's."

"Though it would be my business, again, whether or not I think that it's Charlie's business, right?"

I wondered if he even understood my confused question as I struggled not to say anything compromising.

But he seemed to. He thought about it while the rain picked up against the roof, the only sound breaking the silence.

"Yes," he finally surrendered. "I guess that's your business, too."

I sighed with relief. "Thanks, Billy."

"Just think about what you're doing, Jack," he urged.

I scoffed.

He frowned. "What I meant to say was, don't do what you're doing."

I looked into his eyes, filled with nothing but concern for me.

"We're just friends," I said.

Just then the front door banged loudly, and I jumped at the sound.

"There's no picture anywhere in that car." Jacob's complaining voice reached us before he did. The shoulders of his shirt were stained with the rain, his hair dripping, when he rounded the corner.

"Hmm," Billy grunted, suddenly detached, spinning his chair around to face his son. "I guess I left it at home."

Jacob rolled his eyes dramatically. "Great."

"Well, Jack, tell Charlie" — Billy paused before continuing — "that we stopped by, I mean."

"I will," I muttered.

Jacob was surprised. "Are we leaving already?"

"Charlie's gonna be out late," Billy explained as he rolled himself past Jacob.

"Oh." Jacob looked disappointed. "Well, I guess I'll see you later, then, Jack."

"Sure," I agreed.

"Take care," Billy warned me. I didn't answer.

Jacob helped his father out the door. I waved briefly, glancing swiftly toward my now-empty truck, and then shut the door before they were gone.

I stood in the hallway for a minute, listening to the sound of their car as it backed out and drove away. I stayed where I was, waiting for the irritation and anxiety to subside. When the tension eventually faded a bit, I headed upstairs to change out of my damp clothes.


	24. Friends

It was later at night than I had expected when I texted Alia. She'd only left one message.

\- Saw a dove with a brown spot on its head, thought of you. (heart) 2:23

I smiled. I was glad that she wasn't so worried about Edward being with me that she sent me multiple texts to check if I was alive. I texted her back.

\+ Hey, I'm home.

I lay down on my bed and put my phone down beside me. A few minutes later She texted me back.

\- Welcome back, Handsome!

\- How'd it go?

I thought about today. Edward's song that had been inspired by me, Billy dropping by to tell me to stop being friends with Edward, the fact that Edward watched me sleep at night.

\+ It got weird.

\+ I think Edward likes me.

Her response was immediate.

\- Of course, he likes you, he's your friend.

\+ No, like likes me.

\- Oh.

\- …

\- …

She started typing but then stopped and started up again.

\- Do you want me to talk to him about it?

\+ I don't know. I don't want to hurt him.

\- How do you feel about it?

Was she asking if I had romantic feelings towards Edward as well or did I resented Edward for having those feelings for me?

+?

\- Do you like him back?

Ah, it was the former.

\+ …

I started to write that I wasn't gay, but I felt l Alia should already know this about me.

\+ Not really, I like you.

\- :)

\- I like you too.

\+ I'm going to bed now, see you tomorrow.

\- OK! G'night!

I plugged my phone in and went to put my pajamas on. Then I went to bed.

Monday started with my usual leg injection. As I waddled downstairs, Charlie asked me how my weekend was, since he hadn't seen much of me. I told him it had been fun and that I had hung out with Alia and Edward. I didn't mention that Alia and I were now officially dating, though. He told me that he'd caught some good fish and asked if I would cook them. I told him I'd think about it, but as a vegetarian, I don't like cooking meat. And yes, fish is meat.

Edward didn't come to drive me to school today, so after Charlie left, I drove myself to school. When I got to the entrance, Edward and Alia were waiting at one of the doors; chatting. Alia was laughing at something Edward had just said. I felt a pang of paranoia. Did Edward hear the conversation I had with Alia last night? On a positive note, I didn't feel the usual twinge of envy I felt when I saw them together.

"Good morning, Handsome!" Alia grinned as soon as she saw me.

"Gorgeous," I answered and kissed her on the cheek. I looked at Edward. His expression was pleasant but otherwise unreadable. I suddenly felt guilty. I wondered if it hurt Edward's feelings when Alia and I displayed public affection.

The three of us walked in. We talked idly about the weekend. I told Alia a little more about what happened on Sunday. I left out the awkward ending to the visit and Billy's visit.

"You met his family?" Alia asked. "Woah! What was that like?"

I shrugged. "They were nice but, it felt like everyone was treating me like I was made of glass." Alia giggled.

"Compared to them, you probably are."

Edward chuckled. Alia's attention snapped to him. She gave him a quizzical look, and he nodded. She raised her eyebrows.

"Yikes." She said.

I frowned. Were they communicating mentally?

"Are you guys…" I sputtered, "think talking without me?" Alia blushed, and Edward smiled.

"It's not our fault you can't participate," Edward said.

"It's not mine either!" I exclaimed playfully. "This is mind discrimination!" Alia laughed at that.

Edward dropped us off at English and left quickly. Alia and I chatted before English class and continued to steal glances at each other during class. It was weird how much hadn't changed and how much was so different. It was still the laid-back conversations we'd usually have, but it felt much more intimate. It was still us being silly, but now we were in our own little bubble.

It must have been pretty noticeable because rumors had begun to spread by the time I got to Trig. As soon as I sat down, Teddy was leaning next to me.

"So," Teddy said slyly, "busy weekend. Hmmmmm?" Their eyebrows raised as high as they would go. I sighed good-naturedly.

"What have you heard?" I asked.

"That you and Alia were making sex-eyes at each other all through English!" They whispered.

"I wouldn't call them sex eyes," I smiled, "but we are dating now."

"No way!" Teddy exclaimed. "Noice!" They gave me a high-five. I couldn't help smiling smugly.

"Are you guys going to join us for lunch?" Teddy asked.

"Yeah," I said. But then, I thought… would that be imposing on Edward? "Maybe"

"Y'all gonna eat at that center table and suck face?" Teddy asked cheekily. I frowned. That sounded unpleasant.

"Teddy," I said. "What goes on in that mind of yours?"

"Therapists all over the world have tried and failed to figure that out," Teddy said, shrugging.

Throughout the class I became increasingly nervous about lunch. I wasn't sure how I was going to get Edward to eat with us, or if I should. After all, he couldn't eat. Wouldn't others notice him not eating? Maybe that's why he and his family sat apart from everyone.

When I started walking to the cafeteria, only Alia showed up to accompany me. Teddy walked with a small space between them and us. A smile and a thumbs up from them showed that they were respecting our space rather than feeling left out. Alia and I held hands as we got our food. Not many people outside our friend circle seemed to notice. I looked around and noticed with a twinge of disappointment that Edward was seated with his family.

I sat down with my friends to eat. Despite my disappointment, it was nice to be with my friends again. I immediately got swept up in the lives of my buddies. Eric and Kate started dating after the dance, even though Teddy had gone to the dance with her. This didn't seem to bother them as Teddy admitted they had weak chemistry with Kate. Kevin was there, and though he remained mostly silent, he kept throwing me dirty looks. I still didn't know why. I was about to ask him what his deal was when…

Halfway through lunch, Edward came to our table. Everyone at our table looked at him. He smiled.

"Can I join you?" He asked, smiling innocently.

"Yeah, man!" Alia said.

"Of course!" Kate said. Teddy and the others nodded approvingly.

"I'm glad you dropped by," I said under my breath. Edward smiled and sat next to Alia.

"Don't you have anything to eat?" Miranda asked.

"I prefer to eat with my family," Edward said. "But. I wanted to see what you guys were up to."

"Cool!" Teddy said. And just like that, Edward slowly folded himself into the group.

This became our new normal. Every day, just halfway through lunch, Edward would join us at the table, and we'd all shoot the breeze. Though out the days, I would chat with my friends between classes; it was just that now, said friend group included Edward.

It wasn't really until the beginning of May that things got really weird.


	25. April Showers Leading to May Downers

Alright, the weirdness actually started in April, but at that time it wasn't related to what went down in May.

During the rest of March and the beginning of April, Alia, Edward and I kept up a regular routine. We'd meet up on Saturdays, chat with each other in between classes and halfway through lunch, Edward would come to sit at our friend table and join our conversations. During the weekdays, after school, I was very involved with my friends.

My appointment with my endocrinologist was coming up this Friday, and I was setting up a similar road trip with Alia and Edward like last time. I was on the phone with Alia when Charlie came into my room and waited until I said goodbye.

"What is it, Dad?" I asked.

"Are you going to Seattle this Friday?" He asked. I nodded.

"Yeah," I said, "I'm going with Alia and Edward."

Charlie nodded. "Well," he said nervously. "I was wondering if you could, maybe, postpone your appointment."

"What? Why?" I asked. Charlie looked at me.

"I don't want you going there with all the…" He looked away, "There have been five unsolved homicides in the last two weeks."

I hadn't heard about those. But, I really wanted to see if there was anything I could do about my monthly problem before it reared its ugly head again.

"I don't want to reschedule," I said sheepishly. "There's something important I need to talk about."

"I don't want you to go to Seattle," Charlie said firmly. "There's some kind of gang on a killing spree in Seattle."

I had to admit that since I was going with both Alia and Edward, I wasn't too worried about safety. I couldn't tell Charlie this without compromising their secrets.

"I'll be fine, Dad," I said. "Besides, it's not much better here. Unless you've caught whoever killed Alia's aunt?"

Charlie deflated; I bit my lip, regretting my comment.

"Can't you go to a doctor closer to us?" He asked.

"Well, I guess I could," I said. "But, my appointment is tomorrow. I've already booked off that day with school, and I'd have to pay a fine if I didn't show up."

Charlie looked very uncomfortable. We were at a standstill. He didn't want me to go, and I couldn't not go. Charlie sighed.

"How about this," Charlie said. "I'll stay home tomorrow. If anything happens, call me." 

"Yes," I said. "I'll do that." He waited there for as second.

"I love you, Jack." He said.

"I love you too, Dad," I said back. He nodded and left. 

I rested on my bed. He seemed really worked up about this. Even though he was letting me go, I could tell he was still uncomfortable. I was in bed and ready to go to sleep, but I had become unsettled. I grabbed my phone and opened my messenger app. I stared at it. I wanted to talk to Edward, but he didn't have a cellphone. I messed around on a few apps for a bit, watched some videos and then faded into a dreamless sleep.

The next morning, I woke up early and got ready to go. I had set the appointment a little later in the day and also knew that Edward's driving would shave off some time so, I took my time packing my things and making sure I didn't forget anything. It was seven-thirty when Edward showed up.

"Morning, bro," I said.

"Good morning," Edward said. We got into the car; I noticed Alia wasn't there.

"Hey, where's Alia?" I asked.

"She's not ready, yet so, I went to get you first."

I slumped in my seat a little. The things my dad had said last night began to nag at me in the back of my mind. I mean, what were the chances that I would be involved with the gangs in Seattle? But it had really unsettled my Dad. Should I be concerned too?

"Do you want to talk about something?" Edward asked, picking up on my discomfort.

"I don't know," I said. "I guess my Dad got me worked up about today."

"The murders?" Edward guessed.

"Yeah, he doesn't want me to go." I looked at Edward. "What do you know about it?" Edward looked out the windshield.

"Are you asking if it's the doing of vampires?" He asked

I turned to the window. I felt a little guilty like I was being… uh… racist?

"As far as I know, no. It's not vampires." Edward said.

I closed my eyes. "Charlie is really concerned," I said. "Do you think I should cancel?"

"Only if you want to," Edward said. "But, Alia and I will keep you safe. I…" His voice faltered. "We won't let anyone hurt you."

I had my face turned away from him as I cringed. I could feel his affection for me. Edward could sense my discomfort.

"What did Alia say?" He asked.

"She said her parents are going to let her skip school for today since she doesn't have anything due or any tests to take," I answered.

"Ah." Edward nodded. "I guess they also know that the murders aren't vampires."

I became worried about Alia; just a little. "Is it safe for Alia?" I asked. "I mean, she only fights vampires, right?" Edward laughed.

"Jack," Edward chuckled, "Alia is literally strong enough to bring down a bull. She should be good."

I stayed quiet.

"Do you want to cancel?" He seemed concerned. Since we were pulling up in Alia's driveway, there was really only one answer I could give.

"No. I'm good."

Alia lightened the mood up significantly. She came in with her bubbly personality and a list of things we could do today. I was pretty glad to have Alia in the car, and I noticed that a lot of the activities she had planned were on the way back to Forks and not in Seattle. I guess she had heard about the murders too but just didn't want to talk about it.

We arrived at the doctor's right on time. Alia and Edward insisted on coming with me. The three of us sat in the waiting room continuing the conversation we'd started on the ride here about random things that we could do that not a lot of other people could.

"And that's why I knew how to braid flower necklace, much easier than garlic." Alia finished saying.

"Huh," I said. "You never told me that before."

"I know. It's sort of freeing, being around you two." Alia shot a knowing look at Edward who nodded in agreement.

"You're thinking without me again," I complained light-heartedly.

"No, we're not." Alia giggled.

"Jack LeFleche." The nurse called. "You can come in now."

"Bye guys, see you soon," I said. They waved and smiled. I followed the nurse in, and she checked my blood pressure and took me to an examination room. Once there she sat down in the doctor's chair. I looked around awkwardly. I didn't know why she was sitting with me.

"Uh. Is there- - -?" I started to ask.

"The usual endocrinologist is on vacation, so I'm filling in." The nurse said. "I looked over your charts, and your levels are normal." I sat in confusion. Was it normal for nurses to step in for doctors if they couldn't make it? I seem to recall that if my old endocrinologist was out, they rescheduled me.

"Huh?" I asked.

"I see no need to change your prescription." The nurse said. I frowned.

"Are you qualified to make that decision?" I asked.

"Yes." The nurse said. "I need to ask you something." I stared at her.

"Uh… ok?" I said hesitantly.

"Are there any conditions that run in your family?"

I frowned, I didn't see what that had to do with my prescription. Was she asking if anyone else in my family was also trans?

"No. I don't think so." I answered.

"What about your mother?" She asked.

"Huh?" I was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Does she have unusual physical features or mental quirks?"

"I'm pretty sure she's fine," I said indignantly. I didn't recall this nurse being so nosy or rude last time.

"What about her parents?"

"As far as I know they're all healthy too. Are you asking about genetic diseases?"

"No." The nurse said as she wrote something on her clipboard. "Thank you for meeting with me. Please go to the receptionist and book your next appointment."

"What about my period?" I asked. "Is there anything we can do about that?"

"I'm not qualified to answer that question. Goodbye, Jack." So, now she wasn't qualified? She got up and left before I could say anything else. What a jerk. I scowled and waited there for a second, processing what had just happened. I eventually got up and went to the receptionist.

"Hi, I'd like to make another appointment," I said. "With Dr. Evens."

"Alright, I'll make it for two months from now." She said. We set it up on another Friday.

"Where was Dr. Evens today?" I casually asked as she clicked around on her computer. She paused to think for a second.

"I don't know." She said slowly. We finished up, and she bid me goodbye. Alia and Edward stood when I approached them.

"I think I'm going to switch doctors," I said as we left.

"Why?" Alia asked.

"The people here…" I was going to say are weird, but that sounded rude, "weird me out."

"I always thought the people here were a little loopy!" Alia said.

"I wasn't really listening," Edward said with a shrug.

We got into Edward's car and began to drive home. Along the way, we hit up the items on Alia's list. First, we went to a museum that had an exhibit about weapons through history. Alia was very excited about that. I couldn't say I was as enthusiastic as she was, but it was interesting. Edward seemed completely uninterested as he dutifully followed us around. Then we went to a cat-themed café. The waitress who served us was very flirtatious towards Edward which amused me and Alia. He tried to be less alluring after Alia accused him of dazzling people. The café itself was charming; everything had cats on them or were in the shape of cats; there was even a room that had actual cats you could pet. We didn't go in, but we still had fun.

Like last time, Edward dropped me off at Alia's house. We hung out in front of her house, chatting. I wondered why she didn't invite me in, and I was going to ask her but then her sister came out.

"Hey." Alia's sister interrupted her mid-sentence.

"Vero!" Alia smiled. "This is my boyfriend, Jack!"

"I know," Vero said.

"Hello, Vero." I waved at her.

"My name is Veronique," Vero said without looking at me. "Alia our family meeting is going to start soon, you should drop Jack off." I looked away feeling awkward. I got a distinct feeling that Veronique didn't like me.

"Hey, don't be so rude," Alia said.

"Oh, I'm being rude?" Veronique raised her voice a little. "We're dealing with a family crisis here, and you're slacking off, bonking up with this guy!" She gestured to me. "And there's always a chance that he's been…" She glared at me, " whammy-ed." Alia sighed and took my hand.

"Come on. I'll drive you home." She said.

"Be back before six," Veronique called out as she went back into the house.

As we drove to my house, we were both silent. I didn't know what to say. I felt sorry for getting her into trouble. I looked at her, and the sadness had returned. Not that it had ever gone away, but it seemed less debilitating when she was with me and Edward.

"Is this about Olivia?" I asked eventually.

"Yes," Alia said. "There's a vampire in Forks, and they killed Olivia." I let that sink in for a bit. I knew it couldn't be Edward.

"What are you going to do?" I asked quietly.

"I don't want to bring up the Cullens," Alia said. "My family is really mad and rash. They will definitely kill first and ask questions second." I shivered. This meant that there was a vampire who hunted humans in Forks and they could be anyone.

"Don't you have any vampire identifying tech or something?" I asked. Alia snorted.

"I wish!" She shook her head. "No, we identify the vampires with our tests."

"Like what?" I asked. Alia hung her head, ashamed.

"Well…" She started, "we've got a perfume made of garlic. I'm supposed to wear, a ring with a cross on it that I have to wear backward and holy water pepper spray." I thought about all that for a moment and realized that over the past few weeks, she hadn't done any of those. She didn't smell like garlic, her fingers were free of any rings and… ok well, I didn't know if she carried the pepper spray or not but that was two out of three things she wasn't doing.

"Is your sister mad at you because you're not doing those things?" I asked. Alia nodded.

"All those tests would hurt Edward." Her voice wavered. "I don't want to hurt him." I felt a pang in my ribcage, I didn't know if it was envy or if I didn't want to see her cry or both.

I put my hand on her shoulder. I didn't know what else to do. She smiled at me. We drove on in silence.

When we got to my home, Alia walked me to my door.

"Don't worry about me." She said. "I'm just going through a rough patch."

"If you ever need to talk, you can call me," I said. Alia smiled.

"I liked the sound of that." She leaned in, and we kissed. Then we both went home.


	26. They Know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: this chapter has strong language and racial/sexist slurs. Viewer discretion is advised.

I didn't expect the first Monday of May to end with a black eye and multiple detentions. The day was doomed to suck from the start; it was T-day, so my leg was sore and on top of that my body was in its last days of... cramping. The real disaster struck at lunch.

It was just before Edward arrived and Teddy was planning a guy's night out.

"My girlfriend says I should hang out with my friends more often." They announced.

"You have a girlfriend?" I asked. Teddy put their hands on their hips and bobbed their head with sass.

"Yeah, I totally do." They said. "She's hot and shy but totally understanding."

"Does she live in Canada?" Kevin asked. He and I had an odd tension that had been getting progressively worse since mid-April. We had been trying to reduce it by just not talking to each other.

Teddy snorted. "You would say that."

"Why doesn't she eat with us?" I asked.

"She goes to another school," Teddy said. "We met at a grocery store, she's new in town." Kevin rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Kevin." They said playfully.

"I hope we get to meet her someday!" Alia chirped. Teddy nodded.

"I hope so too!" They said. "She's nervous about telling her parents. She's afraid they won't approve of me."

"Why not?" Alia asked. Kate and Eric looked at each other, but Teddy didn't miss a beat.

"Cuz, I'm awesome!" They crowed.

"So, what do you have planned for this weekend?" I asked.

"I was thinking we can all go to my house and shoot the breeze."

"That sounds great!" I said. Kevin snorted.

"It does. But I'm not coming." He said.

"Oh, big surprise," Teddy said. "What is it this time? You still butt-hurt about Alia?"

Alia blanched, and I looked at her. I raised my eyebrows. She shrugged apologetically.

"He asked me out, I said no." She whispered. "We were cool after that though." I nodded.

"It's not that." Kevin spat. "I don't want to hang out with that fag."

Everyone at the table was stunned into silence. No one could believe what Kevin had just said. Kate had her hands over mouth, Eric stared mouth open, Alia looked furious, and Miranda and Teddy's eyes widened. Everyone was just… stunned. I had no idea who he was talking about, but a cold fury was building in my chest.

"What did you just say?" I snarled.

"You heard me, tranny." Kevin snarled back. He had been talking about me. My face went scarlet.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Teddy exclaimed.

"Her." Kevin nodded in my direction. Rage took me over, and I shot up and slammed my hands on the table.

"Take that back!" I yelled. Kevin followed suit.

"Not a chance!" Kevin yelled back.

"Jack!" Alia exclaimed.

"Oh, what?" Kevin taunted. "Are you going to slap me?" No, I took a swing at him and smashed him in his jaw. He stumbled back and touched his jaw.

"You bitch!" He yelled. He struck out quickly; I tried to dodge, but his fist got me in my face. He was incredibly strong. As my ears rung; I staggered back and fell over. Kevin moved to stomp on me, but Alia caught his leg and quickly flipped him to the ground. He tried to sit up, but Alia stomped her foot down on his stomach.

"Stay down!" She snarled. "Don't touch my boyfriend!" Kevin struggled against her for a bit, then stopped when Edward showed up. He glared down at Kevin. I slowly pulled myself up on the table. Everyone was looking at me. They seemed uncertain.

"What's going on here?" A teacher demanded.

"Jack punched me in the face!" Kevin cried.

"Kevin struck first!" Alia objected. I was too woozy to add anything. I supported myself on the table and opted to glare at Kevin.

"You three, come with me." The teacher growled. Teddy, Alia, Kate, and Kevin started talking over each other at once.

"Enough!" The teacher yelled. "Come, now!"

Alia took over as support from the table, and we followed the teacher. Edward and Kevin walked behind us. The four of us walked to the principal's office as the students in the hall stared at us.

I was pretty out of it for this next part. I head was spinning from the knock it got, and I was in emotional shock about what this confrontation meant. People knew about me, and up until now, they had been staying quiet about it. How many people knew? How would this affect the rest of my time here? Was I in danger? Kevin had just attacked me. How long would it be before other people felt that it was ok to do that?

"Jack. Do you understand?" The principal asked. I nodded. From what little I listened to, I got that the principal wanted to suspend the three of us, but Edward and Alia had talked it down to a couple of weeks of detention.

I spent the rest of the day subject to the whispering and glances of multiple students. I had intended to come out to my friends eventually but, this wasn't how I wanted it to happen. People kept staring at me only to look away when I glanced at them quickly. The teachers tried to ignore it, but they were definitely picking up on the way the other students were treating me.

"How bad is it?" I asked Edward at the end of the day.

"Not too bad." He assured. "There are a lot of rumors, but not a lot of people know the truth." I shivered and rubbed my arms.

"This is a disaster," I muttered.

"None of this is your fault," Alia said. "Kevin is an ass! I really think he should have been suspended." I smiled weakly. She hugged me.

"It's just another rough patch." She said. "We'll get through this." She pulled back and kissed me. As she did, two girls stopped and began whispering.

"There a problem?" Edward asked menacingly. The girls stopped and walked away. Alia and I sighed.

"I'll see you tomorrow," I said.

"Jack," Alia said. She blushed. "I... I care about you."

"We both do," Edward added. "You'll always have us in your corner."

"Thanks," I said.

I got home before Charlie, but he knew when he got home. I had made dinner and then scurried off to my room. Charlie came into my room with his arms crossed. I was at my desk working on an assignment, and I ignored him.

"So, I hear you got detention," Charlie muttered. I said nothing. "They said you started a fight."

I gave him nothing. I was still seething.

"Care to explain?" Charlie demanded, his patience clearly waning. No, I didn't. "Jack!"

"They know, Dad!" I burst.

"Know what?"

"About me. They called me a tranny!" I buried my face in my arms and cried. It wasn't really cathartic though since I couldn't cry tears anymore. Years on testosterone had made it difficult for my body to produce tears. I guess today was an off day for my tear ducts because they remained dry. Charlie stayed silent. He didn't leave. He stayed there until I moaned it out of my system. Afterward, I straightened up again.

"What?" I asked.

"I don't know what to do." He admitted. I ran my hand through my hair.

"A hug would be nice," I muttered. Charlie made no move to act on that.

"Who struck first?" He asked. I scoffed.

"I did," I said meekly. "I was blinded by rage."

"Alright," Charlie said. "I'm going to talk to the principal about this." I looked at him. "What you did wasn't good, but it was understandable." He nodded at me. I nodded back. "Good night, Jack."

"Night Dad."

Then he left. I didn't know it, but my life was about to get even worse.


	27. Please Stop Using the Bathroom

Oh, my dad talked to them alright. He explained my situation to the principal. He explained that my sudden fit of violence was because someone had called me a slur for transgender. He said he wanted the other student suspended. His heart was definitely in the right place; I couldn't deny that. Whatever ended up happening he had acted out of love for his son. But this made my life harder.

Wednesday started with Alia and Edward picking me up for school. My left eye had bruised terribly, and Edward didn't want me to drive. Alia decided to drive me, so Edward walked to my house and got a ride with me to school.

"It doesn't look that bad," Alia said after I asked her about it. Edward grimaced. Yeah, it did look that bad.

"Did you put ice on it?" He asked. I shook my head. Edward sighed. "Here." He said. He reached over and put his fingers over my eye. They were cold, and it made the throbbing go down.

When we got to school and got out of Alia's car, people stopped to look at us. Alia bumped up against me.

"Just act like it's any other day." She whispered. I tried that, though I ended up just ignoring everyone.

During lunch, I didn't want to sit with our usual friends, so Alia, Edward and I sat at the table from when we were all getting acquainted with each other, by ourselves. We ate in silence.

Just as we finished lunch, my name was called on the intercom.

"Jack LeFleche, please come to the principal's office." The intercom roared.

"What do you think that's about?" Alia asked. People were looking at me funny again. I shrunk, trying to disappear into my hoody.

"We'll come with you if you want." Edward offered. I nodded. The three of us walked to the office and sat in the waiting room. The principal came out and looked at us. The three of us stood up.

"You two, wait outside." The principal said when we arrived. Edward and Alia looked at me.

"It's ok," I said. Alia and Edward sat back down, but they were not happy about it. Once I was alone in the office with the principal we both sat down. His nameplate read: Principal Jones.

"Jack," he said, "Some new information has come to light." He paused. He seemed to be waiting for me to acknowledge what he said so I shrugged.

"What?" I asked.

"Your father called us and informed us about your situation." Jones continued. I felt my heart rate increasing. It felt like I was in trouble again, for something different.

"So?" I asked.

"So," Jones said, "we've also been informed that you've been using the male washroom." My stomach sank.

It had been a while since I'd been worried about using the bathroom. I had started using the boy's washroom when I was fourteen. There had been some pushback at first, but when I started passing more as male, it began to make some of the girls uncomfortable. Ever since then I'd been going to the boy's bathroom without any problems. I squinted my eyes at Jones.

"Of course I use the boy's bathroom; I'm a boy."

Jones shook his head. "School policy states that you must use the bathroom that matches your sex."

"I. Am. A. Boy." I snarled.

"According to your father, you were born female." Jones retorted.

"I was assigned female." I crossed my arms. "That's not who I am."

"It is improper for girls to use the boys' washroom." Jones hissed.

"Good." I raised my voice. "Because I'm a boy."

"You will use the bathroom that matches your sex, or else!" The principal said sternly.

"Or else what?" I exclaimed.

"Or you will be suspended and if need be expelled."

That silenced me. Was I really willing to put my education in jeopardy over this? This was the only school near where Charlie worked.

"You can't possibly be able to do that, can you?"

"We have to deal with noncompliance," Jones said, pointing at the desk to accentuate his point. "It's to protect the students. Rules were put in place for a reason." I slumped; I felt defeated. He needed to protect the other students... from me.

"You are excused," Jones said. I glared at him. "Goodbye, Jack." He said pointedly. I got up and stomped out. Alia and Edward stood when they saw me, Alia rushed up to me and threw her arms around me. I hugged her. I needed this.

"Jack?" She said quietly. "We heard the whole thing." Edward nodded solemnly. Alia and I pulled away from each other to look at him.

"Well, from his perspective anyway." He said. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair.

"I've never run into this before." I sighed. "I don't know what to do." Alia wrapped her arm around me and rubbed my shoulder. Edward slowly approached my other side and put his hand over Alia's hand. We stood there until the bell rang.

"We have to go to class now," Alia said. I sighed.

"It's Biology," Edward said. "We can go together." I nodded. Alia kissed me on the cheek.

"See you tonight." She said.

Biology wasn't too eventful. Kate and Miranda kept stealing glances at me but didn't do or say anything to me. It annoyed me. If they wanted to say something to me, then they should just do it.

After class, I walked to the gym by myself. I was looking forward to taking my aggression out on the sport of the month, basketball. On the way there, Kate caught up to me.

"Hey." She squeaked.

"Hey, Kate," I said.

"Um. I was just curious." She seemed nervous. "Is what Kevin said about you being... you know, true?" I stopped dead in my tracks.

"Why would you ask me that?" I asked.

"Is that a yes?" She asked. I started walking again.

"That's none of your business."

"I thought I was your friend!" Kate said as she hurried after me.

"You are," I said. "But, you're not that close." I didn't care if that hurt her feelings. I wasn't ready to go down that story with her yet. I wasn't prepared to do that with anyone outside of Alia and Edward.

During gym, I was really able to let myself go. We learned the basics of the sport, and by the end, we were playing a game. I could say I was actually having fun. I was a natural and I enjoyed the running and dribbling. No one was looking at me weird; it was just us and the game. It felt almost normal again.

It was the last game. I had the ball, and I was dribbling down the court. A boy cut me off and tried to take the shot. I spun away from him.

"I'm open!" Kate called. I looked at her. "I'm open!" I prepared to bounce the ball to her but…

"I'm open, Isabella! Pass it to me!"

I dropped the ball. The room went cold. Everyone looked from me to Kate and back to me. She had her hands over her mouth again.

"I'm so sorry." She gasped. "It just slipped out."

This was officially the worst week of my life.


	28. Date Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alia and Jack's date night goes wrong.

The following week was tough. I struggled at first with the bathroom issue, opting to just not use the bathrooms at all. This led to the end of the school days being miserable, with me desperate to get home as fast as possible. To help alleviate this, Edward started driving me to and from school, and I stopped drinking in the morning. Alia became worried about me.

"It's not safe to stop drinking and peeing." She said as the three of us walking into school. "Trust me, my mom's a nurse."

"I know." I sighed. "But I can't hold it all day, that can't be good either." Alia sagged.

"Yeah." She said. "It's best to just keep a regular schedule."

Some girls smothered in makeup walked by and started whispering loudly to each other.

"I knew Alia was weird. Figures she'd be a lesbian."

Alia and Edward glared at them, but the girls didn't care. I felt guilty. Ever since the Kevin incident, Alia and Edward had been receiving residual scorn by associating themselves with me. It was really reassuring to have them on my side, but I felt sorry for putting them through this. Teddy occasionally sat with us at lunch, but they spent more time with their friends.

Speaking of which, I didn't attend their guy's night out. I had stayed home and had a homework session with Alia. It was nice being just the two of us. I wanted to go back to that afternoon now.

"Come on," Edward said. "It's time for class." I nodded. Alia and I went off to English. Class started without too much incident. Mr. Manson did the roll call, and I was relieved to hear him use my real name.

"I could use a vacation," Alia said at the end of class. I looked at her and realized something.

"Hey, you know what?" I said. Alia paused putting her books in her bag to look at me. "We've been dating for over a month but, we haven't really gone on a date." Alia smiled at me, intrigued.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I want to take you on a date tonight," I said with a smile.

We left the classroom with our bags on our shoulders.

"That'd be great!" Alia exclaimed. "We can ask Edward to come too!" Edward was waiting for us in the hall, and he gave Alia a confused look.

"What?" I said, "Why would you say that? That's not how dates work." Alia blushed and shrugged.

"Oh, right." She said. "I guess I really like hanging out with both of you." I rolled my eyes playfully.

"You've never been in a relationship before have you?" I asked. Alia giggled and elbowed me.

"Yeah, neither have you!"

Edward chuckled. "Well enough, I have to go camping this weekend."

"What?" Alia asked.

"It's getting tough being around you two," Edward said. "I've got to top up." He winked at me. I shuddered. Edward smiled.

"Alright," I said, pulling out my phone. "I'll e-mail my dad that I won't be home tonight, and we can go out after school."

"Can't wait!" Alia said then she hugged me. "See you soon!" She called as she ran off. Edward and I looked at each other.

"That girl is a mystery to me," Edward noted. I shrugged.

"I like that about her." I smiled.

The thought of a date with Alia helped me get through the day. I mostly ignored everyone around me and focused on school work. I had my usual lunch, but the three of us didn't talk much. The cafeteria had become a room of tension for the three of us. Edward's family occasionally threw him disapproving looks; especially Emmet and Rosalie. And of course, people tried to distance themselves from me and Alia.

By the end of the school day, I was ready for a quiet outing with Alia. She was too.

"Alright!" She said as we left the school. "Let's go! I know this awesome little Italian place!"

"Great!" I said. We got in her car. Edward came up to us, and Alia rolled down the windows.

"Hey, see you guys on Monday." He said cheerily. Alia looked disappointed.

"What? Why not tomorrow?" She asked. I looked at her, feeling a familiar pang of envy.

"No," Edward said. "I'm taking Friday and the weekend to... recharge." He winked.

"Ok!" Alia chirped. "Laters, baby!"

We drove in silence for most of the ride. Alia sensed my discomfort.

"What's wrong, Handsome?" She asked.

"Nothing." I lied.

"Ok." She said quietly, not convinced.

"I guess, I'm a little annoyed with myself," I said.

"Oh?" Alia glanced at me.

"Before we started dating, I used to get really jealous of Edward," I confessed. "He was so… handsome, suave and… I thought you liked him." Alia looked at the road; she smiled.

"We're here!" She sang. I perked up.

It was a casual little place. We seated ourselves, and a waiter came and took our drink orders. We looked over the menu and quickly chose what we were going to eat because I really had to use the bathroom.

"I'll be right back!" I said. Alia gave me a thumbs up. I rushed to the men's room.

When I got back, Alia was looking at her cell phone. She looked upset. I sat back down.

"Hey, what's up? Are you ok?" I asked.

"Huh?" Alia looked up. "Oh, yeah. I'm ok." She put her phone in her pocket.

"Really?"

She sighed.

"There was an attack at a convenience store." She rested her face on her hand. "My family thinks it was done by a vampire."

"What do you think?"

"Well, Edward says that it was a human who did the attack, but they might have been manipulated by a vampire. He's looking into it."

"Huh?" I blurted. "When did we discuss that?"

Alia blushed. "Oh, Edward drops by my place at night. We talked about it then." This sent a pang through my entire chest.

"What?" I shook my head. "Did he break into your house too?"

Alia giggled. "Edward can't break into houses, he needs permission to enter a home." I looked up. That must have been why he stayed outside my window when I told him he couldn't come in.

"I gave Edward permission to enter my house a few weeks ago," Alia said as she sipped from her glass. I stared at her. This revelation made me a little uncomfortable.

"Alia, isn't that creepy?" I asked.

"Not really," Alia said. "He gets lonely at night." I crossed my arms and frowned.

"What?" Alia asked.

"It makes me feel…" I paused, "weird."

"Doesn't he visit you at night?" She asked.

"No," I said, "because that's super creepy and I asked him to stop." Alia finished her drink, looking contemplative.

"I got to use the washroom." She said. "I'll be right back." I gave her a thumbs up; trying to lighten the mood despite how crummy I felt. She smiled at me and left.

While she was gone, our food came. I started picking at my spaghetti. I mulled things over in my mind. I think Alia had feelings for Edward. This idea had been a nag in the corner of my consciousness since we started dating. I wasn't sure what this meant for our relationship. Why was she with me if she liked Edward? Did she already ask him out, and he rebuffed her? What did that make me? I guess I'd have to wait until she came back to ask her that.

I sighed. This date wasn't going the way I thought it would. I heard something shatter in the direction of the kitchen. I guess someone else was having a rough day too.

I looked at my plate. I was already done half my plate. I wondered what was taking Alia so long; then I saw her coming back from the bathroom. She looked upset; very upset and she was limping. It alarmed me. I stood up.

"Alia!" I exclaimed.

"I'm sorry." She said, grabbing her bag. "This was a mistake." She moved to leave.

"Hey!" I said stepping in front of her. "Are you ok? What happened to you?"

"I'm not ok." She said. "I feel terrible. I'm sorry Jack."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" I asked. Alia took a step away from me.

"I... I can't see you anymore." She exclaimed. I tried to remain calm.

"Why not?" I said, keeping my voice surprisingly steady.

"I'm in love with Edward; that's why." She said, tears rolling down her cheeks. Her words were like a slap in my face.

"I have to go now." She began to walk away.

"Wait!" I grabbed her arm. "This doesn't make any sense, why are you doing this? Why now?"

"Because…" She said, her voice wavered, "because… I'm nothing but a hound dog!" She burst into tears. That last part really confused me.

"Alia," I said, "Talk to me. I want to help!"

"Let go of me, Jack!" She growled. I let go of her. She put her arm over her eyes and ran to the exit; leaving me alone with my confusion and broken heart.

What just happened?


	29. Highschool of the Dead

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter has harsher than usual language and threat of sexual abuse. Viewer discretion is advised

I was too tired to go to school today. I had stayed up a majority of last night listening to sad music while lying in bed. I woke up early so I called the school to tell them that I'd be in after lunch. I left a recording on the message machine. Charlie always left before I did so he didn't know that I was going to spend the morning moping. I'd played off my moodiness from last night as just being very tired so, I don't think he suspected that anything was wrong. I hadn't sorted through my emotions enough to discuss them with him yet anyway.

I took advantage of my time at home to drink some morning tea, which I'd given up weeks ago. Then I spent some time watching T.V. to try and numb my brain. It didn't really work. I looked at the images on the screen, but I didn't watch them. In my mind, I tried to figure out what I did wrong, what I could fix. Was telling her that I was trans the problem? It didn't seem so at the time. Was it the fact that I waited so long to ask her out on a real date? Maybe. It was actually probably that I wasn't as attractive as Edward.

I eventually gave up on T.V. and went back upstairs to get dressed for school. As I left the house, I got a text. At first, my heart skipped a beat because I thought… hoped it was Alia. But it was Teddy.

\- Miss you man.

That was odd. I texted them back.

\+ Coming in now. Be there soon.

I revved up my old truck and started at how loud it was. It had been a while since Alia or Edward weren't the ones who drove me to school. My heart twisted in its cage at that thought. I couldn't believe it was only yesterday that I at least had them. The school may have turned against me, but at least I had them in my corner. You'll always have us in your corner. Edward had said. I let out an exasperated sigh. 

It felt like a promise had been broken.

I arrived at school just before lunch ended, but you wouldn't know that from how empty the school was. I got out of my truck and looked around. Where was everyone? I went to the cafeteria and found it completely empty. Food trays were abandoned on the tables, lunches half-eaten. I began to feel super uneasy. This was like the opening to "28 days later" (Danny Boyle).

"Hello?" I called out.

Maybe lunch ended early, and everyone was in class. I went to my Biology classroom.

I opened the door. The lights were off, and the curtains were drawn; the room illuminated only by the old T.V. Mr. Banner used to show us biology videos. Everyone was sitting in their seats, staring at Mr. Banner. No one was saying anything or doing anything. The students were all sitting upright with their hands on their desks staring blankly ahead. Mr. Banner was standing in front of the empty chalkboard, staring blankly at his class; the T.V. showing nothing but static.

As soon as I creaked the door open, they all slowly turned their heads to face me at the same time. The effect was incredibly eerie.

"Uh… Hi?" I said, waving nervously.

"Isabella." They all said in unison. That name punched me in the gut.

"Whu- what?" I stammered.

"Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella….." They all began to chant. My heart shot up into my throat. I backed out of the classroom. I was really freaked out. What was wrong with them?

"What the ****?" I backed out of the room. As I did so, more students began filing out of other classrooms; all chanting "Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella…"

I kept backing away from them. I put my bag in front of me as a shield. I don't think I was in danger though. They didn't attack me or anything, they just surrounded me chanting that name. They backed me into a corner. I was overwhelmed. This was so much! Too much!

"Stop it," I said.

"Isabella, Isabella, Isabella!"

"Stop it!"

"Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella!"

"STOP IT!"

I fell to the ground and curled up.

"Now, now, boys." A voice called on the intercom. "Let's give him some space." I looked up. Who was that? It wasn't the receptionist or the principal or even a teacher. Though, I knew I heard it from somewhere before.

The students backed away from me. Even though they weren't chanting anymore, they were still muttering it under their breath.

"Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella…" Hissed through the halls. I was shivering. I was sweating. And I was crying. The tears that had been absent for three years were finally here, with a vengeance. Brought out through the sheer horror I was feeling. I looked into their eyes; there was nothing there. They stared at me without seeing me.

"What's wrong with you?" I muttered. "Snap out of it!" It came out so loud.

"Oh, they can't." The voice said. "Unless I let them."

"What is this?" I cried.

"Sorry to inconvenience you." The voice said. "But in my defense, you really need to do a better job at picking friends."

I cowered in my corner, but the students didn't move. They stood, slumped over; like they were all tired. Or like they were all zombies,

"What did you do?" I breathed.

"Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella, Isabella…!" The voices raised a little, and they straightened up; twitching aggravated. I flinched into the corner.

"You'll have to speak up." The voice said. "I'm in the main office, and my hearing hasn't been so good since I died."

Since she died? Who was this person? Was she a vampire like Edward?

"Who are you?" I yelled. The kids around me quieted down, and they slumped over again.

"An old friend." The voice said, she sounded so smug. "You might recognize me from these questions: You got any change on you?"

Huh? That didn't really clue me in. It rang a bell, but I couldn't really place it.

"No?" I said.

"Isabella, Isabella, Isabella!" The kids around me spasmed. I covered my ears.

"No!" I yelled.

The voice laughed sadistically. "Give it to me."

Suddenly it clicked. That weird girl from the endocrinologist! What was her name again? I remember it was spelled differently than usual.

Luci.

Chills ran up and down my spine. That day, I'd been right next to a vampire. I had dismissed her as quirky but harmless. What had she done to the people here? What had she done to my friends? Were they all vampires now?

"Do you have any medical conditions that run in your family? Specifically, from your mother's side?"

My eyes widened. The weird questions from the nurse! What did this mean? Was that nurse a vampire too? Unless...

"What do you want?" I yelled.

"Revenge." Luci hissed. "I'm really pissed."

"What did I ever do to you?" I whimpered.

"Isabella, Isabella, Isabella!"

"What did I do?!" I yelled.

"Oh, you?" Luci sang. "Nothing. You're simply unfortunate enough to have crap taste in friends and a shit judgment of character."

She wasn't after me. This could only mean that she was after Alia or Edward.

"I think that's enough, boys," Luci said. "Rip her clothes off."

All the people came to life suddenly their eyes regaining consciousness. They swarmed me. No! No, no, no, no, no, no! I panicked!

"No!" I shrieked. "Stop!"

Hands reached from every direction. I was surprisingly well protected by my bag, which shielded me from a majority of the attacks. I curled my legs behind my bag. People mostly seemed to be going for the zipper on my jacket or the top of my pants. As for everyone else, I slapped their hands violently. Whenever I hit someone, they seemed to be discouraged permanently and backed off to let someone else try. They were able to get one of my shoes off, but that was about it.

"I'm sure you'll recognize my bae," Luci said after a while.

Everyone paused, giving me a chance to look up to see who she was talking about. The crowd parted to reveal... Teddy. They looked at me with a glazed over grin.

"Teddy!" I cried. "Don't do this, we're friends!" Teddy tilted their head, their expression not changing.

"Smile." They said. "You're on camera."

Then they knocked my lights out.


	30. What Did Edward Miss?

*Edward's P.O.V.*

The others were scheduled to hunt tomorrow, but I decided to get a head start of them. I told my friends that I would be back by Monday because I wanted to keep a secret eye on them on the weekend. I had been concerned about Alia for a few weeks. Ever since we returned from Jack's follow up appointment with his endocrinologist, her thoughts had been more muddled than usual. She usually thought faster than others, so her ideas were always a little nonsensical, but recently her mind seemed all over the place yet oddly focused. She'd think about her aunt, which would make her think about me. Then she'd think about what she could do for Jack, which would make her think of me. It seemed that everything made her think of me and I didn't really know what that meant.

Seven days after the appointment I asked her about it. I tried to be casual about it. She seemed confused when I asked.

"I don't know." She admitted. "I'm finding myself having feelings for both you and Jack. Isn't that funny?" Images of the three of us in a… compromising situation flashed through her mind. If I could've blushed, I would have.

And it progressively got worse. She seemed focused on the idea of us sharing a simultaneous relationship with each other. She tried to include the three of us in everything she did. Jack didn't notice and, from what I could read from his body language, he didn't seem jealous of me anymore.

Jack was always last to arrive to leave school on gym days, and it was on one of those days that I let slip that I used to visit Jack's room at night. We had been talking about dreams and what they possibly meant, and I revealed that Jack spoke in his sleep.

"How would you know that?" Alia exclaimed. I cringed and confessed. She seemed thoughtful and not at all repulsed, which would have been the appropriate response.

"Is it because you get lonely at night?" She asked. I nodded. "Do you still do it? Visit him at night."

"No." I shook my head. "He asked me to stop, and I have to respect that."

"Why don't you hit up my place tonight?" She asked. "We can talk about who killed my aunt."

I knew it was a bad idea. I fought against it in my mind, but my nights had become unbearable. My family, save Alice, disapproved of my relationships with humans and so their thoughts were loud and annoying. Though Alice was ok with me being friends with Jack, she kept cautioning me about Alia's sister, who was apparently ready to take down any vampire she came across on principle. We both knew Alia wouldn't turn me in, but she thought it was unwise to be friends with her at all. It frustrated me and made me obstinate.

So, I agreed.

Since then, every other night, I'd visit her at night, and we'd chat about all sorts of stuff. Alia heard about the murders in Seattle and wanted to know my opinion on it. She wanted to know what my favorite movie was. She wanted to what sort of methods I used when I hunted. And in return, I asked her about her family.

I'm not proud of it, but I watched her sleep after she thought I left. Her dreams were so fascinating. She was never in her dreams as herself. She was always an omniscient camera that watched her family or characters from a T.V. show go on adventures. Characters and people would switch with each other at random. Jack and I were in a few of her dreams, though less than I expected.

We never became intimate. Let me get that straight. It was always platonic, no matter how romantic it got in her head. She felt guilt over these feelings because she felt the same emotions for Jack.

Which brought us to Thursday. It had been a couple of weeks since my last hunt, but the combination of Jack's alluring scent and Alia's interesting mind started to drive me crazy. The monster inside me lusted for their blood, and he was becoming increasingly difficult to keep in check.

I was waiting in the hall, listening in on Alia and Jack's conversation in English though Alia's mind.

"I could use a vacation," she said at the end of class. Jack looked at her. That statement had made something dawn on him.

"Hey, you know what?" He said. "We've been dating for over a month but, we haven't really gone on a date."

We should do a triple date! Alia immediately thought. She tried to banish that thought.

"What are you saying?" She said verbally.

"I'm saying I want to take you on a date tonight."

"That'd be great!" Alia exclaimed. "We can ask Edward to come too!"

By this point, they were at where I was. I cocked my eyebrow and gave her a subtle frown.

"What?" Jack said, "Why would you say that? That's not how dates work." Alia blushed and shrugged.

Stupid, stupid! What's wrong with me? This is supposed to be about Jack. Why am I so insensitive? Alia's mind raced.

"Oh, right." She said. "I guess I really like hanging out with both of you." Jack rolled his eyes playfully.

"You've never been in a relationship before have you?" He asked. He didn't seem bothered by Alia's comment. Alia giggled and elbowed him.

"Yeah, neither have you!" I'm so glad he didn't call me on that comment. I feel like such an idiot.

I decided to give both of us an out. I started with a low chuckled. "Well enough, I have to go camping this weekend."

"What?" Alia asked. She was concerned. Are you ok? Can I help? She asked in her head."

"It's getting tough being around you two," I said. It wasn't a lie. "I've got to top up." I winked at Jack. He shuddered. God, he was so cute.

"Alright," Jack said, pulling out his phone. "I'll e-mail my dad that I won't be home tonight, and we can go out after school."

"Can't wait!" Alia said then she hugged him. You're so amazing! "See you soon!" She called as she ran off. Jack and I looked at each other. Her thoughts began to talk over each other, making it impossible to understand them.

"That girl is a mystery to me," I noted. Jack shrugged.

"I like that about her," Jack said dreamily.

Through the rest of the day, Alia's thoughts became more and more entangled. She seemed conflicted and confused. When I switched to Jack, because I could keep track of him through the minds of others, he seemed indifferent. People kept trying to engage with him, but he was off in his own little world.

"Alright!" Alia said as we left the school. "Let's go! I know this awesome little Italian place!" She had searched the internet for quaint little places. She was also a fan of Italian food.

"Great!" Jack said as he got into the passenger side of her car. I walked up to Jack's window. Alia rolled down the windows.

"Hey, see you guys on Monday," I said cheerily. Alia frowned.

"What? Not tomorrow?" She asked. Jack turned to her, hiding his facial expression from me.

"No," I said. "I'm taking Friday and the weekend to recharge." I winked. Alia's mind raced with what that could mean, but it was tinged with guilt as she wanted to focus more on Jack.

"Ok!" Alia chirped. "Laters, baby!"

They drove off, and I headed home.

I spent the rest of the day quickly hunting. I overdid it, drinking more than necessary, glutting myself again – a small grouping of elk and one black bear that stumbled across me. I was so full, it was comfortable. I felt strong enough to go back and start my surveillance. It was midnight when I got back to Forks. I stopped by Jack's place. Yes, I know that I said I had stopped going to his house, but I didn't get too close. I stood in the driveway to see if I could hear Jack talking in his sleep. Hmmm, maybe I am pretty creepy.

I know something is wrong. I heard Charlie think. I frowned. He was distraught. I don't want to be too invasive though. What happened tonight? What can I do for him? I'm so lost. Something bad happened? What could have gone wrong with a simple dinner date? I came in closer to the house and listened to Jack's room. He sighed a heavy, wavering breath. He wasn't asleep, and he was crying? Fury raged through me. Whoever made him cry was going to pay.

I dashed off to Alia's place to see what she knew. But, when I got there her home was in a panic.

Where could she be? What did that text mean? Has she been whammied? Why is this happening? Is she in trouble? My baby. My baby. It figures! She wasn't doing the tests!

All these thoughts bounced around in the minds of the members of Alia's family. I could tell from Vero's memory that the tests were all things that would have revealed me at school. Dread began to build in me, sharing space with the fury. Alia didn't do any of those tests because of me. Now she was missing.

What does 'I'm a hound dog' mean? Alia's sister, Veronique, thought to herself.

Hound dog? I remembered at Jack's first appointment, Alia had noted that Hound Dog was her favorite Elvis song. She had switched her mind blocking song to it from the annoying one she used to sing. Why was that song so crucial that she texted it to her sister? I needed to find her and find out what happened.

I rushed around Forks listening for her incredibly unique mental voice. But after a few minutes, I realized the only place she could be was La Push.

I couldn't talk to Alia or Jack.


	31. It's a Trap!

I woke up with the cold floor pressed against my face. My head was throbbing, my ears were ringing, and my stomach was doing backflips. I tried to put my hand on my forehead but couldn't. I was tied up, quite thoroughly too. My ankles were bound together with duct tape, my torso was wrapped with rope, restricting my arms, and my wrists were taped together.

I could also tell that I still had my clothes on and that my body hadn't been uh… manhandled. I couldn't help being relieved despite the predicament I was in.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty," Luci said. I peeked my eye open to see where we were. We were in the center of the gymnasium. She was standing by my feet, looking at one of the doors leading to the hall. All the lights were off. That was good, I probably had a concussion, and bright lights would've irritated me.

"Wssss ddssssra….?" My mouth felt like it was full of rocks. Oof. That wasn't a good sign. I tried to roll to my back so I could sit up, but the pain that trickled up the side of my body stopped me. I groaned.

"Got you real good, didn't I?" Luci said. I could hear her smug smile in her voice.

I tried to get my bearings, but my mind was sluggish. I turned my face to the floor to get the sensitive part of my face to the ground. I heard a shuffling coming from above me. I looked up. Teddy was standing next to my head. They looked confused.

"Errddy?" I slurred. Teddy's face lit up, full consciousness pouring in.

"I'm so sorry Jack!" They said. Their voice broke with emotion. "She told me not say anything until you noticed me."

I looked to Luci, she seemed indifferent to our conversation.

"You hiff me…" I murmured, my mouth thankfully regaining function.

"She told me to!" Teddy exclaimed. "I would never!" I lay on the floor silently. That was a very lame excuse. Something nagged at the back of my mind, but I couldn't hear it. I was too annoyed with Teddy and angry at the school. I couldn't believe that they all did what they did to me just because some rando told them to!

"If she told you to jump off a cliff would you?" I muttered.

"Yes, he would," Luci said. I looked at her ankles. "People always do what I tell them." The fog in my head finally fell away, allowed my brain to snap back to reality. The nagging feeling became a full thought. Oh shit! She's a mind-controlling vampire! Of course, Teddy would mess me up if she told them to!

Adrenaline began to pump through my veins. I started to struggle against my restraints.

"Teddy darling," Luci mewed, "Make sure he doesn't hurt himself."

Teddy came over and put a foot on me. It made the pain in my ribcage flare up. I cringed and stopped wiggling.

"Don't cut yourself," Teddy said.

"Please Teddy," I begged. This seemed to confuse Teddy; they looked to Luci, for permission.

"Luci." They said nervously. "He's my friend."

"Don't listen to him," Luci said simply. "He's not your friend."

Teddy nodded and glared down at me. "You're not my friend so, don't act like you are." They growled. I groaned as they pressed down on me. Could she change how someone felt about another person? How long had she been watching me? How long had she been affecting me? Oh God, did Alia even like me? Or had she been under Luci's control this whole time? I began to question every relationship I'd made since I got here.

I struggled again, wiggling and writhing.

"Stop that!" Teddy hissed. They brought their foot up to stomp on me. I quickly rolled away from them causing them to stomp the floor, lose their balance and fall over. Meanwhile, I sat up and fell down again. My head swam, and my vision dissolved into a flurry of starts. Teddy got up and started to approach me. I shimmied away from them a quickly as I could; which was admittedly very slow.

"Stand next to me. He's coming." Luci ordered. Teddy immediately stopped and rushed back to Luci.

"Here." She offered them an exactor knife. "You're going to need this." Teddy held it close to their chest like she'd given them the world's most thoughtful gift. Her effect on them terrified me.

Finding myself extremely top heavy, I couldn't really get myself up. My heart beat in my throat at a million miles an hour as all I could do was watch what was about to happen.

"Face the other way," Luci said. Teddy turned and faced the gym's exit to the outside door.

"Don't come!" I shouted. "It's a trap!"

"Don't talk." Luci snarled at me. I flinched, expecting her to lash out at me. But, she didn't. She stood there, facing the hallway doors. Nothing else changed, nothing compelled me to keep silent. In a similar way to how I was immune to Edward's mind-reading powers, I must be immune to Luci's mind controlling powers.

"It's a trap!" I yelled. "Stay away!"

Luci rolled her eyes.

Suddenly the exit doors shuddered violently and fell over. Teddy flinched. I turned to see who it was. The light from outside burned my retinas; I quickly turned away and buried my face into the ground.

"Zhi," Edward growled.

"Ed," Luci said, not turning.

"I thought I killed you."

"Damn good try."

I slit my eyes open to watch. Luci peeked back over her shoulder. "You left out steps three through ten."

"So." Edward gestured with his hands. "What's all this then?"

"I think you know." Luci turned away again. "It's what I always liked about you."

"This is petty," Edward said. "Even for you."

Luci said nothing to this. Edward took a step forward.

"Hold it to your throat," Luci said. "Blade up." Edward froze. As instructed Teddy brought the knife to their throat and gently pressed the blade against their skin. Edward bared his teeth but didn't take any more steps.

"What do you want?" Edward asked. Luci twirled around revealing her half-burned face and smiled.

"To show you how it feels!" She exclaimed. "And if you fight back…" She bobbed her head in Teddy's direction. "This one's going to gut himself like a midday snack. Aren't you honey?"

Teddy trembled and nodded.

"But you already knew that, right?" Luci lunged. Edward braced for the attack.

"Edward!" I screamed.


	32. I Always Get What I Want

*Luci's P.O.V.*

I've always been able to get what I want.

The eighteen-hundreds were great. I was always well fed back in those days. I'd go around and nibble on multiple different humans at a time. They'd let me come right in their homes. No one ever suspected anything when they became pale and weak and light-headed because of this disease called tuberculosis. It made you pale and weak and prone to fainting. So, whenever I had a snack, people just overlooked it. Those were the good all days.

But they were a little boring. I was friends with everyone and no one. It was difficult for me to become true friends with the person equivalent of a goldfish. I didn't mind the loneliness until I met Edward. He was interesting.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Vampiric powers are derived from the number of people you kill. It doesn't matter how much human blood I drink or snack on or turn if I killed a person after drinking their blood, their essence is added to my power. I don't remember much from when I was a young vampire. But I do remember that after a few kills, people just started doing what I told them to. I didn't understand it, but it made hunting easier.

It may surprise you to know that for a hundred years I'd never met another vampire that I hadn't made. Most young vampires were sluggish and could only come out at night, and they were incredibly weak. Whenever any of them got too rambunctious, I could easily rip their limbs off and set them on fire. It's the only way to kill most vampires.

It's the way Edward had tried to kill me.

What he didn't know is that with all the people I'd killed it would take way more than that to put me down for good. It took me a few enraged weeks to pull myself back together.

Why had Edward tried to kill me? Not important. What was important was that for the first time in my life I was genuinely livid. I'd been angry, disappointed, I've even been disgusted, but I had never felt a cold fury like this before.

I spent some time regaining my lost souls and plotting my revenge. It took me longer than expected to get back to 100%. The advancements in medicine made it difficult to sneakily snack on people so, I had just to kill them. Rage fueled my thoughts. I wanted Edward to hurt. I wanted him to be betrayed by someone he cared about. No, I wanted him to lose someone he cared about. I cycled through dozens of devious ideas before I decided to spy on him. It seemed logical that I should plan my revenge around his current life, not the version of him from the 1950s.

It wasn't hard to find him. I followed his clan's movement pattern until I found him in Forks. His family kept moving to little towns, and they'd stay there for half a generation then move and start over. It was very lame. Lamer still was that five of the vampires kept registering themselves in high school, which I thought was hilarious.

I knew he could read minds, so I masked myself in crowds and used proxies to ask people about the Cullens. My favorite proxy was a girl named Kate. I ran into her at a store, and she was very chatty. She told me which school she went to and what interests she had. I didn't care about the second part, but I was interested in the fact that she went to the same school Edward did. I gave her a phone and told her to text me anything she found interesting and to forget that she used my phone after she hid it.

She had a lot of annoying things to report until January. She said that Edward seemed to hate this new kid, the son of the Police Chief. I told her to keep an eye on him and, come March, she said to me that Edward had started spending time exclusively with this new boy and this other girl, Alia. I didn't recognize the name, so I went to her house to see if I could get her on the payroll too.

I was intercepted by this incredibly rude woman who recognized me for what I was and objected to me visiting this Alia person rather strenuously. That bitch had holy water in her purse in a little spray bottle. What sort of lunatic goes around with holy water in their purse?! She didn't get any on me, but I was so offended that I killed her on principle. I didn't even drink her blood. I didn't want her inside me.

However, this, unfortunately, put Alia's family on high alert. Apparently, the whole lot of them were vampire hunters. I wasn't going to be able to get Alia at her home.

I figured if I couldn't get at Ed through the girl I'd have to do it through the boy. I followed them when they went to Seattle. I carpooled in three different cars with three different families. The boy left Edward and Alia in this dinky little restaurant, and I followed him to his appointment. I walked outside of his perception and stayed out in the hall as he went into the receptionist area. I listened as she told him to fill out some forms. He seemed to be visiting an endocrinologist; I wondered why. I slowly crept in and went to the receptionist.

"Stay quiet until I nod at you." Her eyes went blank, and she nodded. I went and sat next to the boy.

I said hello to him, and he looked up.

"Uh, hi." He dismissed me and returned to the forms.

I tried to engage him with some small talk, but he seemed unnerved by me.

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" He asked, uncertainly. I didn't want to give him my real name, just in case, he told Edward about me.

"Oh. I'm Luci." I replied.

"Lucy." He repeated slowly.

I wanted to leave an impression. "Luci, with an I." Then I pounced on the question I really wanted to ask. "What's your name?"

"It's Jack." He said absentmindedly, "nice to meet you." He continued with the forms. He was starting to get on my nerves. I tried to pick it back up with some more small talk. He seemed to get defensive and shot back a few questions of his own. He suddenly got up to return the files.

I wanted to know why he came here. It was such a long way from Forks. He said it was because he liked the endocrinologist here, I knew he was lying. He seemed wary of me, so I tried another approach.

"You're cute."

He turned quickly to me. Humans loved being complimented.

"You don't look that old. Sixteen?" I genuinely couldn't tell.

"Seventeen." He breathed. Blood rose to his cheeks. It wasn't a blush, but I could smell it rising.

"Ah." I smiled. "Close but no cigar."

Jack smiled back. "I guess I look a little young for my age."

"Guess my age," I ordered.

"I, uh… hmmm." He stammered. Hesitation? Was that hesitation? He examined me. "Twenty?"

"You flatter!" I exclaimed. "I'm twenty-five."

"Guess you look young for your age too." He chuckled nervously and glanced at his phone. I decided to test his obedience.

"Do you have any change on you?" I asked. He looked up at me.

"Um, yes. I think so."

I looked him in the eye. "Give it to me."

He frowned. "What? why?"

Interesting. A human immune to my orders. I improvised.

"There's a vending machine down the hall, and I'm thirsty," I said. "But, I don't have any change on me."

"Oh." He said, sounding annoyed. "I have a couple of quarters. I don't think it'll be enough."

"Huh." I gave the receptionist a nod. "Ok."

"Jack LeFleche?" The receptionist said. He got up and followed the receptionist.

"Bye LeFleche," I called after him. As soon as he was gone, I went to the receptionist.

"Let me look at his files," I ordered. She obeyed and beckoned me to her side. She pulled up his file.

Mr. Jack LeFleche was seeing Dr. Evens because she was going to be his new endocrinologist as he continued his transition from female to male. So, little Jack was trans. I had experience with that. I, myself, had absorbed so many people that I was now able to switch my physical gender at will. He also seemed immune to mental powers. And, he had Edward's heart. He was getting very interesting.

"I'm going in back." I muttered, "Don't stop me." She nodded at me and smiled. I walked to the room Jack was in by following his sent, and I eavesdropped on their conversation.

"We'll set an appointment in a couple of months. We'll recheck everything then." Dr. Whoever was saying.

"Thank you," Jack said.

"Alright. Have a good day." I could hear her walking to the door, so I flashed away and waited behind a wall until Jack had left. Then I went back to the receptionist.

"Tell me when Jack's next appointment is," I whispered.

"Friday, April the fourth." She answered immediately. Good. I thought. This gave me time to relax.

"Forget I was here," I muttered, and then I left.

I didn't follow them back to Forks. While I'd been keeping tabs on Edward in Forks, I hadn't been able to feed. It was too small, and I didn't want anyone to catch on to me. Jack's dad was already investigating the murder of the lady I had killed. I was beginning to get hungry.

I didn't want to get caught here either, so I got random humans to hunt for me. I met them at bars and let them take me to their homes. I had them meet each other apart from me. They kidnapped eight people for me that I drained and killed. Then, to close the loop, I ate the gang I'd made as well. Just in time for Jack's second appointment.

I went to the endocrinologist to see if he had rescheduled or canceled. He hadn't. So, I took control of the primary nurse. I wanted to know why Jack was immune to my powers. My powers and Edward's powers worked on all humans. I thought this could mean that Jack was a mix of something. I would research Charlie on my own, but I wanted to know what was on Jack's mother's side.

I gave the nurse a script to follow and told her to say that Dr. Evens was on vacation. Then I put Dr. Evens in a closet during Jack's scheduled time.

Imagine my delight when I saw that Jack was accompanied by Edward and Alia. While it meant I'd need to wait in the bathroom in the hall to avoid Edward recognizing my thoughts, I hoped that I could take control of Alia.

It seemed farfetched but just as I was getting bored Alia walked in. I was already in a stall, and I heard her go into one. I stood there with a smile, quickly formulating a plan. I stepped out and began washing my hands. Alia came out.

"Nice weather we're having," I noted. She looked up at me.

"Yeah." She said.

"I saw you with your friends," I said.

"Huh?" She said.

"I was behind you," I said. "But my appointment is in a different department."

"Oh!" Alia smiled. "Cool."

"You seem really cozy with your boyfriend," I said. Alia giggled. She seemed less guarded than Jack.

"His red hair, your dark hair. You make a cute couple."

She looked at me startled. She knew I was talking about Edward.

"You love him," I said. I meant it as an order but said it innocently enough that she wouldn't feel like I'd given her an order. Her eyes glazed over for a second then she blushed at looked away.

"Actually, he's just a friend." She said, flustered. It worked.

"Oh, oops!" I said, "My bad. Well, bye." Then I left.

I turned down the hall and slipped into another waiting room. I told her that she was in love with Edward. Hopefully, she'd break up with Jack and start dating Ed, that would make their relationship awkward.

After they left, I went and interrogated the nurse. She had nothing to offer. In annoyance, I told her to meet me after her shift for a snack.


	33. Compromised

*Alia's P.O.V.*

Edward. Edward. Edward. It was all I could think about. His eyes, his smile, his teeth his smell, him; all of him. I couldn't help it! I didn't know why! But it didn't change how I felt about Jack. I thought about his lips, his face and the relief on that face when I accepted him after he told me his secret.

I didn't understand my feelings. I found myself fantasizing about the three of us. I still loved Jack, I just found myself falling in love with Edward too.

It wasn't until I broke up with Jack that I realized that I'd been compromised.

Jack took me on a date; a real date. It was romantic. I wanted Edward to come along, but they both pointed out how weird that was. Gah! I could be such a moron sometimes.

On the way there, Jack revealed that he was a little jealous of Edward. It made me feel bad because on top of having to stop using the bathroom during the day he was beginning to feel alienated by me. I decided that I should give up on my fantasy threesome and focus more on Jack.

We got to the restaurant, ordered our food and Jack took a much-needed bathroom break.

Bing!

My phone piped up.

\+ Did you hear about the attack at the 7-11?

It was Vero. She was mad at me for not taking the vampire precautions.

\- No.

\+ They say it's vampires.

\- On a date right now, can we not right now?

\+ You're putting us all in danger!

Jack returned and sat down.

"Hey, what's up? Are you ok?" He asked.

"Huh?" I glanced up. I didn't want to worry him. "Oh, yeah. I'm ok." I put my phone in my pocket.

"Really?" He wasn't convinced. I sighed.

"There was an attack at a convenience store," I said, putting my face on my hand. "My family thinks it was done by a vampire."

"What do you think?"

"Well, Edward says that it was a human who made the attack, but they might be being manipulated by a vampire. He's looking into it."

"Huh?" He blurted. "When did we discuss that?"

Crud, there I went talking about Edward again. What was wrong with me?

I looked away. "Oh, Edward drops by my place at night. We talked about it then." I peeked back at Jack and giggled. He looked confused.

"What?" He asked, shaking his head quickly. "Did he break into your house too?"

"Edward can't break into houses, he needs permission to enter a home." I forgot how little Jack knew about vampires.

"I gave Edward permission to enter my house a few weeks ago," I said as I sipped from my glass. I felt Jack staring at me.

"Alia, isn't that creepy?" He asked.

"Not really," I said. "He gets lonely at night." Jack frowned.

"What?" I asked. I knew what.

"It makes me feel…" Jack's words faltered, "weird."

"Doesn't he visit you at night?" I asked hopefully. Maybe Edward visited Jack too.

"No," Jack said firmly, "because that's super creepy and I asked him to stop." I looked down, ashamed. Was I cheating on him? Emotionally? All the water I'd drunk today suddenly piped up again.

"I got to use the washroom," I said. "I'll be right back." He gave me a thumbs up and a weak smile. Poor Jack, I was really hurting him.

After I used the toilet, I went to wash my hands. Someone came out of the stall behind me.

"You were supposed to break up with him." She snarled. I turned to her.

"What?"

We locked eyes. This girl, I recognized her. But, from where?

"Don't say anything."

My voice turned off. I opened my mouth, but I couldn't make myself say anything.

"Look at me as I speak."

I looked into her red eyes. Red eyes! She was a vampire. I wanted to scream. I slowly put my hand in my purse.

"You're going to go out there and…"

I quickly wrapped my fingers around my spray bottled of Holy Water and sprayed this girl in the face. I got half of it. Her skin immediately started to blister and burn.

"Argh!" She hissed. "You bitch!" She grabbed me by the throat and smashed me into the mirror. It shattered. A sharp pain rippled up my back from my hip. I felt my mouth open in a silent scream. My hand twitched, and I dropped my spray bottle.

"You're going to go out there and break up with that boy." The girl growled at me. "Tell him you're in love with Edward."

She knew Edward!

"Don't tell him about me. Don't tell anyone about me."

I could see the muscle under the skin of the left side of her face. Her face scrunched in an animalistic snarl.

"I'll kill you later."

She hoisted me up with one arm and slammed me into the ground. The wind got knocked out of me.

"You can talk now." The girl said as she stormed off. Emotion began to well up inside me. I felt compelled to go out now. Every moment on the bathroom floor was an eternity of torment. I had to break up with Jack.

I stood up and rushed back to my table. My left hip sliced pain down my leg as I walked. I stumbled back to my chair. When Jack saw me, his eyes widened.

"Alia?" Jack said, he stood up.

"I'm sorry." I sobbed. I grabbed my bag. "This was a mistake." I rushed to the exit.

"Hey!" Jack stepped in front of me. "Are you ok? What happened to you?"

Oh man, why did he have to be so decent? I wanted to tell him, I wanted to explain what had just happened, but I couldn't.

"I'm not ok," I said. "I feel terrible. I'm sorry Jack."

"Sorry? Sorry for what?" He asked. I stepped away from him.

"I..." I tried to fight against it. "I can't see you anymore." Jack's expression didn't change.

"Why not?" He asked in a low voice.

"I'm in love with Edward; that's why." The words squeezed out of me. I could see his heartbreak on his face. Unwelcome tears drooled down my cheeks. "I have to go now."

"Wait!" He exclaimed. He hopped forward and grabbed my arm. "This doesn't make any sense, why are you doing this?"

"Because…" Because a vampire told me to. Tell him, tell him, tell him! "Because…" I couldn't! My mind pulled up the song I used to block Edward from my thoughts.

"I'm nothing but a hound dog!" The song played so loud in my head I couldn't hear the real world.

Jack was talking to me, but I didn't want to hear it anymore.

"Let go of me, Jack!" I cried desperately. His had vanished, and my emotional dam broke; I wailed as I ran to the exit.

I couldn't go home. I had a few of my vampire hunting stuff, but I couldn't go home to get more. Vero was right. I'd messed up. I was compromised. Who knew what else had been programmed into me? I lost track of time as my mind was stretched out in all directions.

I got in my car and headed straight to La Push, I didn't know where else to go. There was only one person I felt I could trust. A person I'd started texting with when I first began looking into the Cullens. A person who couldn't be being controlled.

Jacob Black. Like me and Edward, there was a lot of stuff he hadn't been able to talk about with most people. He found it refreshing to be able to discuss his feelings towards his tribe's legends with someone outside of the situation.

Lately, we'd fallen out of communication because I was preoccupied with my two close friends and because he was going through something in his own life.

I hoped Jacob didn't mind my unexpected visit but, I knew that the Quileute had experience with vampires and I prayed that they might be able to help me.

My hip hurt terribly; I'm pretty sure I had a fracture or a break, but I didn't care. I knew which section Jacob lived in but not specifically which house.

I stopped my car in a random spot and crawled out. I didn't care how the car was parked. I was in pain; emotionally and physically; my legs couldn't support my weight.

"Jacob!" I called. "Jacob! I need help!"

I crawled towards one of the houses, my left leg useless.

"Jacob!" I yelled, "JACOB!"

People were peeking out of their houses.

"Alia? Is that you?" Jacob's voice called out.

"Jacob!" I cried. "I need your help. Edward, Jack; they're in danger!"

Jacob rushed over to me. He put a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh my gosh, that's blood!" Jacob exclaimed. "Alia, you're bleeding! I'm calling 9-1-1!"

NO!

"Don't do that!" I cried. Jacob looked around nervously. People were beginning to circle around us. I must've been making quite the ruckus.

"It's ok!" Jacob called out to them. "Nothing to see, she's just had too much to drink!"

I was back in tears. I grabbed Jacob's sleeve.

"I need your help! I need Billy's help!"

"Ok, ok!" Jacob said. He looked around then picked me up.

"I'm going to bring you to my home, is that ok?" He asked.

"Yes." I sniffled. "I need to talk to Billy."

"What happened?" Jacob asked?

"I… I…" I started. I couldn't focus on my words because Jacob's walking was bouncing me around, sending searing jolts of pain up my side.

…?

…

…?

I must have fainted because when I woke up, the sun was peeking in through a window.

I jolted up and winced. My leg was bandaged up, but it still hurt. My head was less clouded, and I began to think of loopholes through the orders I'd been given.

"Good morning," Billy said. I started; I hadn't noticed him there. "Jacob said you wanted to talk to me."

"I've been…" My voice choked itself into silence. The vampire's order took hold, and I suddenly wanted to stay quiet. But I couldn't.

"Edward and Jack are in danger." I tried it again. Billy nodded.

"What are they in danger from?" He asked.

"Me!" I said quickly. My mind immediately clouded up. Hound Dog started playing in my head, drowning out my own thoughts. I put my hands on my head. My own defense turned against me! I started singing it.

"What's this?" Billy asked.

"It's a song I use to block Edward from my thoughts," I answered quickly. My voice didn't disappear though. Apparently, I was allowed to talk about Edward even though he was a vampire.

"So why are you singing it now?" Billy asked.

"It's blocking my own thoughts from me," I muttered. Billy nodded again. He seemed to get it.

"So," He mused, "You're under control by a vampire who's like Edward?"

My vocal cords clamped shut, so I nodded.

"What do you want me to do about it?" He asked. I looked at him.

"I know about your tribe," I said. "I researched them when I was looking into Edward." Through my research, I had learned that their tribe was shape-shifters. I didn't understand exactly how it worked, but I hoped they could help me.

Billy stared at me without feeling.

"We can't get involved," He said. I looked down. I knew I had been a bit loopy last night, but I didn't know what I had expected. "All we could do was fix you up."

"Thank you," I said. Billy nodded.

"Jacob is putting some herbal medicine in your car, which he also parked properly."

I cringed. I remembered just stopping my car and getting out.

"Sorry." I murmured.

"I'm sorry we can't do more." He said, then he wheeled out of my room.

I sighed. I had a bad feeling. I couldn't waste time. I didn't know what I was going to do with myself today. I got up. My leg protested, but it was manageable. I realized that someone had to undress me to patch up my leg. I blushed.

"Hey."

I looked up. Jacob was in my room… uh, actually I was in his room; he looked concerned. I hadn't noticed it last night, but Jacob had cut his hair really short. My blushed worsened.

"Jacob?" I asked.

"Are you ok?" He asked me.

"Not really," I said. "Did you...?" I looked down at my leg.

"Oh, yeah." Jacob looked away and blushed. "Listen," He looked back to me, "I went to Jack's school to see how he was doing." I hung my head. Poor Jack. I felt terrible for doing what I did to him.

"What did he say?" I asked.

"That's not why I'm here," Jacob said. I looked up at him. "The school has been taken over."

My stomach dropped.

"Oh no." I breathed. I put my sweater on and picked up my bag. "Thanks, I got to go now." I limped quickly to the exit. Jacob followed me.

"Woah!" he exclaimed. "You are in no condition to go up against that vampire…"

"I don't care." I cut him off. "I have to fix this."

"Alone." Jacob finished. I paused.

"What?"

"I want to help," Jacob said.

"Why?"

"You are my friend." He said. "And so is Jack; we hung out when we were kids. I care about you both."

We got to my car, and I put my bag into the back seat.

"Alright then," I said. "How can you help?"

"You know we're shape-shifters right?" He started. He seemed excited.

"Yes," I said. I stood by the driver's seat.

"The Blacks are wolves."

I looked at him. "Huh?"

"The Quileute can turn into their inner animals." Jacob gave me a determined expression. "I can turn into a giant wolf."

There was an awkward silence. It wasn't what I was expecting, but a giant wolf would probably be pretty helpful. I smiled.

"Alright. Let's go save Jack." I said.

"On one condition," Jacob said quickly.

"What?" I was concerned. What could he want from me?

"I'm driving." He said. I considered the shape I was in; he was probably in better driving condition.

"K."


	34. The Bouncing P.O.V.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The P.O.V. gets cut off as characters fall unconscious.

*Jack's P.O.V.*

"Edward!" I screamed.

The vampire I knew as Luci shot forward with impossible speed and grace towards Edward. He was braced for the attack. Her fist collided with this cheek making a horrid, loud, crack. Like two large pieces of marble slamming into each other. Edward was flung back into the wall near the destroyed doorway he'd entered from.

I winced away from the loud sound. I struggled in vain against my restraints. I could hear Luci pummeling Edward. The only reason why he wasn't fighting back was because of Teddy. I had to get out, and I hoped that I could use their brainwashing to my advantage. I rolled over to Teddy's feet.

"Teddy!" I hissed. Teddy looked at me blankly, still pressing the knife to their throat.

"Huh?" They said.

"I'm going to cut my wrists!" I tried to make it sound urgent, "The tape is too tight."

Teddy's face lit up with panic. "No! Don't do that!" They leaned down quickly to me and promptly sliced at my restraints.

"Don't listen to him!" Luci's voice called from the doors. "He's lying!"

Teddy looked at me confused. "Were you lying to me?"

I bounced up and punched them in the face. They looked dumbfounded, and then they fell flat on their back; dropping the knife.

"In my defense, you hit me first!" I muttered. He had dropped the knife. I picked it up and used it to free my legs. With the adrenaline pumping through my veins, I felt like I had been reset to faculty settings. I stood up armed with the knife. I looked at Edward. He was not in good condition. He had multiple cuts, and he struggled to get to his hands and knees. Luci was grinning at him.

"No!" Edward shouted.

Then she was on me. I took a swing at her with my knife. The blade shattered on contact. I gasped and took a step away from her.

"Sounds like you got a few screws loose." She said as she tilted her head. I ran for the exit. I couldn't help it, panic took over, and I ran towards Edward. I didn't make it; I was nowhere near fast enough. Luci was in front of me in a flash. She grabbed me by my throat with her left hand. My feet swung into the air like a dog suddenly pulled back on its leash. She grinned at me.

"You watching Ed?" She asked. My heart pumped faster and faster as I watched her slowly open her mouth wide and bite down hard on my arm. I heard what sounded like a hurt animal yowling. I realized with a jolt of surprise that it was me yowling. I was suddenly flung away from Luci. I slammed into a wall. My lungs flattened out against the wall and all the air they held dissipated. Every fiber of my being erupted into pain. It felt like all my bones had been ground into a fine powder. When I landed on the floor, I hit the ground at an angle. I heard the crunch rather than feel it. My head fogged up again. My body trembled. My stomach did all sorts of gymnastics. My vision dissolved. I felt so sleepy. I knew I shouldn't close my eyes, but they were so heavy.

"What the ****?!" I heard Luci screech. Her voice hurt my eyes, I closed them and drifted away.

*Edward's P.O.V.*

Zhi took advantage of my relationship with Jack's friend. She slashed at me and bit me. I looked at Teddy, and sure enough, his eyes were fixated on me; making sure I wasn't fighting back. One of her swings sliced into my cheek. Her attacks were shallow. They were meant to draw blood; not to mutilate. She was torturing me. I bared my teeth and snarled at her. It was all I could do, and she revealed in the power she had over me. She didn't even have to use her powers to control me.

"Teddy!" I heard Jack say. "I'm going to cut my wrists! The tape is too tight." I looked at him. I heard Teddy's panicked thoughts as he couldn't go against the orders Zhi had given him. He leaned over and freed Jack's arms. Zhi quickly glanced at Teddy over her shoulder.

"Don't listen to him!" She hissed. "He's lying!"

It was too late though. Jack was up and with it enough to punch Teddy out. Teddy fell down and dropped the knife. I tried to get to my hands and knees. It had been such a long time since I'd seen this much of my own blood.

"I want you to see me kill him." Zhi said. I glared at her. "She's going to taste so good."

"NO!" I growled.

Then, Zhi did something to me that she'd only done a few times in the past. We didn't know she could do this because up until then her mind control power didn't work on me. The first time had been an accident, the subsequent time destroyed our relationship. She couldn't control me verbally. But she could control me with her thoughts.

She bombarded my mind with her own will. All I could feel was her wants. I had become an extension of her. There was a small part of my mind that was still me, and it was going to take some time to expand my presence in my mind again.

While I struggled with that, she ran to Jack who tried to defend himself with the knife he'd taken from Teddy. As he swung the knife, his ankle popped; not in a painful way. The joint was just naturally loose. It was a holdover from when he had broken it as a child. The knife shattered like glass. Most human weapons couldn't hurt us, vampires.

"Sounds like you got a few screws loose." I heard Zhi say to Jack, referencing his ankle. I could hear his heart rate increase, his breaths as he began to panic. He ran towards me. I tried to get up, but my body wasn't mine yet.

Zhi dashed in front of him and caught him by the throat with one hand.

"You watching Ed?" She asked me. I could feel her smile as though it were mine. My face wanted to emulate her grin. I closed my eyes.

I felt Zhi glance at me; I felt her bite into Jack's arm. His blood exploded from his arm. It was delicious and warm. I could feel it roll down my throat.

"AAAARRRGH!" Jack screeched.

No. I didn't want this. It wasn't my throat his blood slid down, it was hers. Rage pulsated from the center of my brain. It forced Zhi's mind out and sent my will surging back through my body. I shot up to my feet and charged her. Before I could reach her, she tossed Jack across the room. He slammed into the far wall and fell like a limp rag doll; his limbs were bent in awkward directions.

I collided with her. She was stronger than me. She was thoroughly fed with human blood. I was able to push her over a few inches, but her frame was rigid.

"Wow, it's never taken you this quick to recover from me." She smirked. "You must really like this guy." She pushed against me for what felt like hours though it was only a few seconds. Then she suddenly pulled away from me. I fell forward but caught myself.

"Teddy!" She cried, sounding scared. "Are you going to let this crazy guy attack your girlfriend?"

I paused. Teddy dragged herself up and glared at me.

"Hands off my girlfriend!" She hissed. She lunged at me. I jerked back away from her. I was too strong to fight her. Zhi smiled as she made sure to stay behind Teddy.

"You coward!" I snarled.

"Don't talk to her like that!" Teddy yelled. She took a swing at me. Her coordination was off. She was still disorientated from Jack's hit. I easily avoided Teddy's blows, but my speed had taken a fatal dip. Teddy backed me to the wall next to the door I'd entered.

"Teddy!" I groaned. I was getting tired. "I'm your friend."

"Anyone who hurts my lady is not my friend!" Teddy growled defiantly. I could feel the power of her protectiveness, and I knew I was done for.

Suddenly, a part of the wall to my right crumbled with an earth-shattering smash. Zhi looked towards it. The head of the giant wolf who'd headbutted its way in shot forward and clamped its mouth around Zhi's throat and upper torso.

"What the f***?!" Zhi screeched.

The giant russet wolf shook Zhi around like a dog toy and tossed her to the other side of the gym in the opposite direction of Jack. She hit the wall with enough force that it split. She fell down and didn't move. She must have been stunned.

I looked to the wolf in awe and noticed that someone was perched on top of it, using a backpack as a shield.

"Alia?" I gasped. Alia's eyes were wide with concern.

"Hey!" Teddy yelled at the wolf. The wolf stepped away from her, startled. I took advantage of Teddy's distraction. I slipped quickly behind her and clamped my hand over her nose and mouth. She struggled, but she was no match for me. I didn't kill her, I just knocked her out.

"Oh my gosh!" Alia called as she slid down the side of the wolf.

"She's fine." I panted. Alia walked up to me and put her hand on my cheek.

"Are you ok?" She said loudly to me. I looked into her eyes. She had come here to help Jack. She was surprised that I was here and seeing me now had shifted all of her concern away from Jack. I saw myself in her mind, I looked like I'd been mauled by a bear.

'Oh no! Look at Jack, is he ok? He looks like he's dead!' The wolf thought as he whined. I recognized the mental voice. I looked at him.

"Jacob?" I muttered. My knees buckled. I fell down to my knees.

"Edward!" Alia yelled. I looked at her. "I'm going to Jack. Ok?" Why was she talking so loudly? I nodded.

"What will it take to make you ditch this guy?" Zhi screeched. The three of us looked at her. Alia's eye's widened, and she ran to Jack. Zhi flashed after her.

It was up to me and Jacob to protect Alia and Jack.

*Alia's P.O.V.*

We were driving in nervous silence now. Jacob had listened to me explain the situation.

"So." He finally said. "If this vampire can control minds, doesn't that mean that as soon as we show up, we'll be under her control?" I hadn't thought about that. She'd easily gotten me to break up with Jack. 

I thought quickly.

"I'll put earplugs in," I said. "That way I can't hear her." Jacob nodded.

"Ok, what about me?" He asked.

"Earplugs too?" I offered.

"They're not going to fit in my wolf ears." He said. "I don't want to end up fighting on the wrong side."

I thought for a moment and then smiled. "It doesn't have to be my earplugs, as long as you've got something in your ears." I opened my bag and ruffled around for my Vampire Dagger. The blade was made of silver and was patterned with crosses.

"Whoa!" Jacob exclaimed as I stabbed my seat. I pulled out the foam and fluff from inside.

"Do you think this will work?" I asked.

"We'll have to see." He said. "We're here." He parked next to the curb.

"Right," I said. I made to open the door, but I got distracted by…

"Ok. I'll sniff them out, and you can ride on my back." Jacob said as he began to remove his clothes. He started with his shirt and then moved to his pants.

"Whoa! Whoa! Hey!" I exclaimed. "What are you doing?" Jacob looked at me with an awkward smiled.

"My clothes don't change with me." He explained. "I like these pants. They got a lot of pockets."

"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed. "Are you going to strip down completely?"

"Don't look, k?" He called. I got out of the car with my bag and stood in front of it as he removed the rest of his clothes. I was getting an odd combination of emotions from this.

I peeked at him. He was leaning out the door, hands on the ground outside, back half still in the car. He had his eyes squeezed tight.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Shush!" Jacob said, "I've only done this twice before. Give me a second." He shifted his weight between his hands. "I swear this never happens." He joked.

"Oh my God!" I groaned. I covered my face and turned away. Suddenly my car rocked to the side. I spun around. Exiting the driver side of my car was a giant russet wolf. He stood up.

"Alright," I said. "Let's get ourselves tuned out." Jacob nodded. He kneeled down so I could mount him. I stuffed the makeshift earplugs into his fluffy ears. Once I did mine, I tapped his side.

Jacob gave a mighty woof and ran to the school. He charged the side of the building. I thought he still needed to find Jack, but his speed implied that he already knew where he was going. Oh dang! I thought He's going to ram it! I held my bag over me to protect myself from the debris. I held myself to his fur as he broke through.

I felt Jacob lurch forward and start shaking under me. I lowered my bag to see why. Jacob was slinging the vampire back and forth in his mouth. Then he spat her out, and she flew into one of the walls, denting it.

I looked around. I saw Jack lying on the floor on the opposite side of the room. My heart stopped. He looked so… dead. My glance continued down, and I started when I saw who was next to Jacob. It was Edward and Teddy. Teddy looked mad. Edward suddenly grabbed him and began suffocating him. I was alarmed. I slid off Jacob and looked at Teddy after he fainted. He was breathing. Edward had just knocked him out. I looked at Edward. His clothes were torn up, and there were deep gashes in his skin.

Edward said something to me, but I couldn't hear him. I was glad my earplugs worked so well. I put my hand on his cheek.

"Are you ok?" I asked. I looked into his eyes. He looked like he'd been mauled by a bear.

Jacob became antsy, he shifted his weight urgently. I looked at him and realized that Jack needed more medical attention than Edward did. Right on cue, Edward fell to one knee. But Jack still needed more help.

"Edward," I said. He looked up at me. His expression was pained. "I'm going to Jack. Ok?" He nodded.

Suddenly he and Jacob's head snapped to the direction of the evil vampire. I turned to see what they were looking at. The evil vampire was slowly getting up. I was going to have to trust Edward and Jacob to fight her. I grabbed my bag and rushed to Jack.

I had more combat tools than medical tools, but I worked with what I had. I put on some latex gloves and checked Jack's vitals. He was alive! I was relieved! I continued my inspection by patting down Jack's body. He gently moaned as I did so. He seemed to have a full-body bruise. Nothing felt broken, and he didn't seem to have any open wounds except one at the base of his skull and the gash in his left arm. He groaned loudly when I got to his right leg. I rolled his pant leg up and saw that his ankle had swollen up. It was probably broken.

I flinched when I heard Jacob yowl in pain and the evil vampire cackle. I was freaked out with the knowledge of how loud those sounds had to be for me to hear them.

We were in over our heads.

I popped out one of my earplugs, pulled out my phone and dialed 911.

"911 what is your emergency?" The voice asked calmly.

"Forks school," I said slowly and quietly. "5... no, 3 students down. Possible spinals and multiple fractures."

"What happened?" The voice asked.

"There's so much blood." I wept.

"What happened?" The voice repeated.

I couldn't answer this time. The evil vampire had made her way past Jacob, and she plowed into me. The side of my head, my shoulder, and my good hip smooshed into the wall. I fell next to my bag. I pulled out my dagger and defended myself. The vampire tried to slash my face, but her hand slid across my blade. On contact, her skin burned. She howled, and she held her hand. She glared at me, livid. I gulped.

"Stab yourself." She said, her voice eerily calm. A smile played at her lips.

I had no choice but to obey.


	35. What Does the Public Think Happened?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is formatted like a newspaper article.

Five Students Maimed in Attack on Forks High School

By: Kyle Greening and Angela Anand

Forks WA. The small quaint high school of Forks was shaken to its core when, on May 23, 2014, an unidentified woman armed with explosives and knives entered the school and initiated a lockdown. She walked into the main office, tied up the school staff present and locked them in a closet. She took 17-year-old Thiadora Martinez as a hostage and ordered all the students and teachers to not only stay in their classrooms but obey all orders she gave them. The students remained in the school for seven uninterrupted hours.

While the students were trapped in their classrooms, the assailant went to the gym and blew up one of the walls. Three students who arrived at school late and a visiting student from a different school stumbled upon her and confronted her. According to Thiadora the four students valiantly and simultaneously attacked the assailant to rescue her. Although they were overpowered by the weapons the woman brought with her, they were able to injure her to the point where she had to flee. She escaped before the authorities arrived leaving Thiadora, as well as her rescuers, unconscious on the gym floor.

At 3:30, students began to stream out of the school; exhausted, dehydrated and confused. A video interview with one student, Mia Chester, spread across social media, an artifact of a moment when children have become numb to violence in their schools.

"Was there a part of you that was like, 'This isn't real, this is — this could not happen in my school?'" the reporter asked.

The young girl looked confused: "No, I wasn't thinking anything. It was just happening, and I had to do what I was told."

"By the teachers?" The reporter asked.

"No. By her." She said. "I didn't want to, but she told me I had to."

Photo: damage to the side of the Forks High School gymnasium. Credit Mara Shimizu/Ethan Mason via Associated Press

The police are investigating every lead they can about this mysterious woman, but none of the students or faculty members can remember what she looked like. The school has been closed down during the investigation as she is still at large and the police don't know if she will attack again. Chief LeFleche has declared that he and the local police will be cooperating with the F.B.I. to apprehend this culprit.

"I thought she was going to kill me," Thiadora said. "She told me to hold a knife to my neck and, I don't know, it was like I was hypnotized. I can't remember what happened clearly." She was diagnosed with a mild concussion but still went to the hospital for further observation.

That morning, Kate Newton, a junior, headed to school thinking about the late work she was supposed to submit before the end of the school year and settled into her English class to work on an essay. The classes had just started when the announcement came on.

"All she said was, 'the school is now in lockdown. Everyone stay in your seats until I say otherwise.'" Miss Newton said in a phone interview. "I remember just sitting at my desk. She had (Thiadora) as a hostage, we had to do what she said!"

Many of the students' and teachers' details on what happened after what was supposed to be lunch break vary. "We went into the hall," Daniel Banner (the biology teacher) said. "We were supposed to hassle one of the students. I don't know what came over us. I think we hurt him."

"She didn't want us to actually hurt her." Miranda Lupin said. "She said that when she told us to rip her clothes off just to paw at her, him. I feel terrible!"

Other students reported that they were just supposed to stand in the hall and chant a name; they don't remember being told to rip anything off anyone.

"You'd think with how loud it was in my head, over and over and over again that I'd remember it." Kevin Breen said. "But I just don't. I must have said it over a million times. I was so scared. I wasn't in control of me."

Photo: Students lined up at Forks School in Forks, Wa. Credit FF71-TV

Everyone in the school was then instructed to go back to their classrooms and stay there until they were permitted to leave. Even when the building was being destroyed the students, and faculty members were adamant that they would have stayed inside even if the entire school collapsed on them. Just before the police showed up, they were all told they could leave.

"I heard a voice say, 'You can leave now. I don't need you.'" Eric Lupin said. "I'm not sure if it was her, though. A part of me still wants to sit at my desk."

The first responders on the scene (Dr. Cullen, Nurse Vetcher and Chief LeFleche) arrived just after the announcement and were horrified to find their children among the injured in the half-destroyed gym. Edward Cullen, Alexandria Vetcher, Jack LeFleche, and Jacob Black are still at Forks Hospital receiving treatment for their multiple injuries.

"By the time I came in, Dr. Cullen and Nurse Vetcher were already working on the kids. It was hard to see." Chief LeFleche said when asked by a reporter. "My baby boy. He was broken and silent on the ground." He refused to comment further after that.

Photo: Staff members waiting to be transported away from the campus. Credit Hazel Voll via Associated Press.

Three weeks later, the family of the victims held an anxious vigil at the Forks Hospital.

"Edward is doing better." Dr. Cullen said. "He still needs regular blood transfusions, but I am confident that his injuries will heal." Dr. Cullen is in charge of the children's recovery, and he also had this to say about Jacob. "Jacob had very mild injuries. He mostly had hairline fractures. He's making a speedy recovery, and I'm going to discharge him soon."

Veronique Vetcher, Alexandria's sister, said that she was reckless and brave to attack the "whacko" like that.

"They said that her right shoulder is pretty much gone," Miss Vetcher said. "She's going to need a lot more surgery. Both her hips were busted. It'll be a miracle if she can walk again... if she even wakes up again."

Not much is known about Jack's condition. All that is known is that he is still in the intensive care unit and that he has been put in a medically induced coma.

"I don't know how something like this happened." Principal Jones said. "No one knew this woman, and she just walked in. The worst part was that no one outside of the school knew what was going on until one of the students, (Alexandria) I think, called 9-1-1."


	36. An Impasse

My eyes opened to a bright, white light. I was in an unfamiliar, white room. The wall beside me was covered in long vertical blinds; over my head, the glaring lights blinded me. I was propped up on a hard, uneven bed – a bed with rails. I closed my eyes, they were definitely not ready for the light yet. The pillows were flat and lumpy. There was an annoying beeping sound somewhere close by. A dull throb pulsed through my entire body. I hoped that this meant I was still alive.

My hands were all twisted up with clear tubes, and something was taped across my face, under my nose. I tried to lift my hand up to feel it but found that this sent a zing of pain up my arm and into my neck. I winced.

"Jack." Cool fingers pressed against my face. "Can you hear me?"

"Edward?" I croaked. "What happened."

"I'm so sorry," Edward said. "This was all my fault. I didn't…" his voice was tormented. I tried to remember what happened through the haze in my head. Not much could get through. It made me feel like a scared child.

"Where's my mom?" I asked. There was a pause.

"Reneé is here, in the hospital. She's getting something to eat right now."

"She's here?" I turned my head to the door with my eyes still closed.

"She'll be back soon." He promised. "Please relax."

I cracked open an eye and looked at my body under the sheet. I felt like a mummy, wrapped up in bandages and I recognized the feeling of a cast on my leg.

"Ugh." I groaned. "How bad am I?"

"You have a broken ankle, shattered shoulder blade, four cracked ribs, some cracks in your skull, a couple of gashes, bruises covering every inch of your skin and you've lost a lot of blood.

"Anything I don't have?" I said sarcastically.

"They had to give us blood transfusions," Edward said. "I didn't like the way it changed your smell." I looked at him with an eyebrow raised. He smirked, "We both lost a lot of blood."

I flexed my muscles gently to see how severe the damage was. I flinched when I felt the gauze on my left arm. My heart rate spiked.

"She bit me, Edward," I whispered, trembling. "She bit me! Am I a vampire now?"

"Shh, shh; it's ok." Edward hovered over me and gently placed his hands on my exceptionally sore spots; my right shoulder and my left arm. "She didn't inject any venom in you. I think she was planning on just killing you so your consciousness would be added to her power."

I shuddered and winced.

He was instantly anxious, "Jack, what's wrong?"

"What happened to her?" I asked, "Did you catch her?"

Edward sighed. "No. I was out for a bit." This startled me.

"You were unconscious?"

"No." Edward shook his head. "I didn't have enough blood to function, so I was… I guess 'paralyzed' would be the appropriate description." There was a fierce note of regret in his voice.

"What about Teddy?" I asked. "Are they ok?"

Edward blinked at me. "Teddy's fine. She just had a concussion." He looked down like he was defeated. "Right, you don't know about Alia and Jacob."

Panic surged through me.

"Alia?" I tried to sit up, but the spinning in my head accelerated. Edward pushed me gently down onto the pillows.

"They're fine too!" He exclaimed, "You need to sit still."

"How did she get involved?" I asked, "I thought she didn't like me!"

"She never stopped liking you," Edward said. "She came to help you because she thought you were in trouble."

An odd feeling blossomed in my chest as I realized that Alia might have been forced to break up with me. I could feel the blood rising to my cheeks.

"Where is she?" I asked steadily. Since she was in the hospital too, she must have gotten hurt.

"She's going in for her third surgery," Edward said sheepishly. I felt an inner panic fail to express itself on my face. A third surgery? The blank in my memory shimmered; it was so close to the surface, it just needed a nudge.

"What happened to us?" My voice cracked. It felt like it had been a while since I last used it. Edward remained silent.

"Please tell me what happened." I urged.

Edward frowned. "I don't actually remember much." He said. "I remember Alia riding in on Jacob. But I was in a dormant state for the rest. It's all a blur."

"Alia was riding Jacob." I mused, imagining Alia riding piggyback style on Jacob as they waddled into the Gym. "That needs a bit of explanation."

Edward smiled. "Jacob can turn into a giant wolf."

"Ah, right," I said. "Obviously." Edward chuckled at my sarcasm. He waited in silence for a bit, then he brought his face closer to mine.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"I don't know," I muttered. "I'm overwhelmed."

"Hmm." He sounded amused. He leaned in slowly; the beeping of my monitor began to accelerate. Was he going to kiss me? I didn't want that.

"What are you doing?" I breathed. Edward chuckled.

"I'm not going to kiss you." He whispered. "I just found out that I can hear your thoughts if our heads are close enough."

"You're listening to my thoughts?" I asked, bewildered. I heard something in the hall, it sounded like two people whispering to each other. The sound had a reverb on it like it was echoing through a cave or like a small sound being amplified. He pulled away, as he did the sound faded away too.

"I think I hear your mother." He said.

"Are you going to leave me?" I asked. He paused.

"Do you want me to?"

"Not really," I admitted. He waited for me to say more; when I didn't, he nodded.

"Then I won't." He said solemnly, and then he smiled. "I'll take a nap."

He wheeled himself to a corner in, what I noticed for the first time, a wheelchair, twirled around, so he was facing me and closed his eyes.

"What's with the wheelchair?" I asked. Edward remained perfectly still.

I could hear my mother now. She was talking to someone, maybe a nurse, and she sounded tired and upset. I wanted to jump out of bed and run to her, to calm her, to promise her that everything was fine. Unfortunately, I was in no condition for jumping, so I had to wait patiently.

The door opened a crack, and she peeked through.

"Mom!" I whispered, my voice full of love and relief.

She took in Edward's still form and tiptoed to my bedside.

"He never leaves, does he?" She mumbled to herself.

"Mom, I'm so glad to see you!"

She bent down to hug me gently, and I felt warm tears falling on my cheeks.

"Jack, I was so upset!"

"It's ok, Mom. Everything is fine now!" I comforted her.

"I'm just so glad to see your eyes open again." She sat on the edge of my bed.

I suddenly realized I had no idea when it was.

"How long have we been here?"

"It's Friday, hon. You've been out for a while." She didn't seem to realize that just giving me the day of the week didn't tell me how long I'd been here.

"Like, Friday, May twentieth?" I hinted.

"Like June twenty-seventh."

Wow, a little over a month. I nodded.

"They had to keep you sedated for a while, honey – you've got a lot of injuries."

"I know." I could feel them.

"You're lucky Dr. Cullen was there. He's such a nice man… very young though. And he looks more like a model than a doctor…"

"You met Carlisle?"

"Yes, I met all the families of… you know… you guys." She must have been talking about Alia and Jacob's family as well as Edward's. I'm not sure if she would've met Teddy's family since they (she? Edward used she…) just had a concussion. My last concussion only put me in the hospital for a couple of hours, the rest of the treatment was done at home.

My Mom glanced over her shoulder at Edward, lying with his eyes closed in his wheelchair. "You didn't tell me you had such good friends in Forks."

My mind immediately went to Alia. I wondered how she was doing. She was in her third surgery; how badly had she been harmed trying to save me from a lunatic vampire?

"Are you in pain?" My mother turned to me, anxious. Edward's eyes flashed to my face.

"I'm fine," I assured them. "I'm worried about Alia." Edward lapsed back into his phony slumber.

"I'm sure she's fine." My Mom said gently. "Dr. Cullen is in with her. He fixed your shoulder up great, so I'm sure Alia's in good hands." This alarmed me. I had needed surgery too? I didn't feel too sorry about that but, Alia should never have needed any surgeries.

"Oh Jack, you'll never guess what!" My Mom exclaimed suddenly which snatched my attention.

"What?" I asked quickly.

"Just when we were about to leave, Phil got signed!"

"Oh. That's great." I said as enthusiastically as I could manage, which wasn't that much. I wasn't entirely sure what she was talking about.

"And you'll like Jacksonville so much." She gushed while I stared at my hands vacantly. "I was a little bit worried when Phil started talking about Akron, what with the snow and everything because you know how I hate the cold, but now Jacksonville! It's always sunny, and the house, yellow, with white trim, and a porch just like in an old movie, and this huge oak tree, and it's just a few minutes from the ocean, and you'll have your own bathroom..."

I suddenly had enough. I realized that I didn't have the energy to keep up with my Mom. I probably wouldn't have that sort of energy for a while.

"I'm not coming with you," I said. Edward still had his eyes closed, but he looked too tense to pass as asleep.

"What are you talking about Bells?" My Mom cringed, "I mean, Jack."

I sighed. Even though that action hurt, I didn't wince. "I don't want to go to Florida, I've decided to continue living in Forks."

"But you don't have to anymore, silly," She laughed. "Phil will be able to be around so much more now… we've talked about it a lot, and what I'm going to do is trade off on the away games, half the time with you, half the time with him."

"Mom." I hesitated, wondering how to be diplomatic about this. "I want to live in Forks. I've got real friends here." She glanced towards Edward again when I reminded her of friends. "And I really appreciate Charlie. I want to get to know him better."

"You want to stay in Forks?" She asked bewildered. The idea was inconceivable to her. And then her eyes flickered towards Edward. "Why?"

"I just told you." I said, "Real friends, my dad, and -Oof." I'd shrugged, and the pain was too much to brush off.

Her hands fluttered helplessly over me, trying to find a safe place to pat. She made do with my forehead; it was unbandaged.

"They haven't caught that lady you know." She warned me. "She got away, it's not safe here."

"I want to stay here," I said firmly.

"Is it this boy?" She whispered suggestively. I became aggressively aware that she still hoped that I would fall for and marry a boy.

"He's part of it," I admitted, "But it's…"

"I talked to him, you know." She said quietly. "And I want to talk to you about it."

Huh? "About what?" I asked.

"I think that boy is in love with you." She said giddily.

"Yeah. I know that." I said casually.

"And how do you feel about him?" She poorly concealed the raging curiosity in her voice.

I sighed, looking away. As much as I loved my mom, this was not a conversation I wanted to have with her. "He's important to me, but I'm not in love with him."

"Well, he seems very nice, and, my goodness, he's incredibly good-looking…"

"I'm good-looking too," I complained.

"Right." She said embarrassedly. "Right, yes you are!" Then she sighed and glanced guiltily over her shoulder at the big, round clock on the wall.

"Do you need to go?" I asked.

She bit her lip. "Phil's supposed to call in a little while… I didn't know you were going to wake up…"

"No problem, Mom." I tried to tone down the relief so she wouldn't get her feelings hurt. "I won't be alone."

"I'll be back soon. I've been sleeping here, you know." She announced, proud of herself.

"Thanks," I said. "You don't really need to do that, though. It's not like I'd notice." The swirl of pain killers on my brain was making me groggy despite the fact that I'd been sleeping for weeks.

"I was too nervous." She said sheepishly. "I can't believe they haven't caught that crazy woman."

I shivered.

"I can stay, baby, if you need me."

I shook my head slowly. "I'm fine. I'll be with Edward."

She looked like she might want to stay. "I'll be back tonight." It sounded as much like a warning as much as a promise, and she glanced at Edward again as she said it. I rolled my eyes. What exactly did she think the two of us would get up to?

"I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, Jack."

A nurse came bustling in then to check all my tubes and wires. My mother kissed my forehead, patted my gauze-wrapped hand and left.

"Are you feeling anxious, there? Your heart rate got a little high."

"I'm fine," I assured her.

"I'll tell your RN that you're awake. She'll be in to see you in a minute."

As soon as she closed the door, Edward wheeled himself to my side.

"What's up with that?" I gestured to his chair.

He smiled. "According to human standards, I don't need frequent blood transfusions anymore. But according to vampire standards, I still need quite a few."

"Yikes." I tilted my head up. It sent a chill up my spine to contemplate just how powerful Luci was. I looked back at Edward. "How was your nap?"

"Interesting." His eyes narrowed.

"Yeah?"

He looked down while he answered. "I'm surprised. I thought Florida… and your mother…well, I thought that's what you'd want."

I stared up at the ceiling and chose my words carefully. "I'm very tired right now." I started. "Whenever I'm with my Mom, I feel like I'm the parent. Here, in Forks, I feel more like an equal among everyone."

"And I'm part of it?" Edward asked.

"Yes," I said. "I've grown very attached to you." I looked at him. "You're my bro."

Edward smiled. He brought his face close to mine hesitantly, eyeing me carefully to see if I consented to this. I looked away and nodded. There was something that was nagging at me, and I knew he was going to hear it. He rested his head next to mine. It wasn't weird at all. #sarcasm

I heard him sigh loudly.

"I suppose we do need to address that." He said.

"Yeah," I muttered. "What happened to Luci."

Edward stiffened then relaxed. "So that's what Zhi told you her name was, huh?"


	37. Jacob Black

Rehabilitation was hard. I couldn't believe how much strength I'd lost in just one month. What really kept me going was Alia. After her third surgery and once she was cleared for visitors I tried to go to her room as often as I could. Getting independent enough to visit her on my own was very motivating for me. For now, I had to get a nurse or a buddy to wheel me to and from Alia's room. She was still sedated, so she never said anything, but I liked being with her.

Very shortly after I woke up, Edward was switched to a home treatment. He needed to replenish his energy the "old fashioned way." But before he left, we talked about Zhi, the lunatic vampire. It was a brief conversation, but the short of it was that our parents had become involved. The Cullens, the Vetchers and the Blacks were working together to track and capture Zhi. So, Edward going back home served two purposes. Since he was the only one who knew anything about Zhi, he'd need to inform everyone about her; he could also learn to hunt again.

As he was about to leave, he looked at my face. He was no longer in a, but I was in one now so I could be closer to the window.

"What are you thinking?" He asked.

"You always ask me that," I muttered.

"I always want to know." He replied. He looked around to see if anyone was watching then leaned in and gently touched our foreheads together. I closed my eyes. I wasn't entirely comfortable with this yet but, I knew he'd be able to feel what I couldn't articulate.

"You won't feel safe without me here?" He whispered.

"Is that how I feel?" I said.

He pulled back. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Then he was gone. I sat in my room alone for a while after that. I didn't really have anyone to talk to. I was still too tired to take on my mother, Charlie was busy at the station looking into leads on Zhi, and all my friends were unavailable.

Apparently, most of the students involved in the "incident" had suffered severe emotional and psychological trauma. Everyone needed some form of treatment. As a result, exams for school had been canceled. Whatever Zhi had done to them was slowly wearing off, but some kids still wanted to go back to their third-period classroom and just sit at their desk.

It made me feel simultaneously grateful and guilty that I was immune to her powers.

I wasn't alone for too long though.

Remember before when I said I needed a nurse or a buddy to wheel me around? Well, the buddy in question ended up being Jacob Black.

It was the day after Edward left and I was lying in bed when he knocked on my door.

"Jack?" Jacob said as he poked his head in.

"Jacob?" I said inquisitively. "Don't tell me you're here too!"

"Not anymore." He walked in. "I was discharged weeks ago. I'm all better now."

"Good to hear," I said politely.

"How about you?" He asked.

"I'm all better too," I said with a smirk. He chuckled.

"That was a dumb question." He said, "Sorry."

"I'm just kidding," I said. "Don't worry."

But Jacob did look worried. He looked around like he thought he was being watched. I began to feel panic welling in my chest. What if he was being controlled? Why was he so jittery? He walked up to me and leaned forward. I flinched.

"How much do you know about the… event?" He whispered.

"Huh?!" I blurted.

"You know…" He looked away bashfully, "like, secrets and stuff."

I slowly caught on. 'Jacob can turn into a giant wolf.' I remembered Edward's words.

"Like…" I started hesitantly, "vampires, giant wolves and stuff like that?" Jacob's face lit up.

"Really?!" He exclaimed. "You know about me?"

"Yeah." I said, "Edward told me about you." Jacob looked surprised. "I already knew about vampires though, so I wasn't freaked out."

"That's great!" He exclaimed. "I'm so stir crazy!"

"What?" I said numbly. Jacob bounced excitedly.

"There was so much of myself that I had to keep hidden and recently I've been able to talk about that stuff with Alia…" I felt my chest contract at her name. "But with her… out of commission… I'm not really close to anyone off the reserve." He fell silent, and looked at me… for approval?

"Do you want to talk about something?" I asked. He looked at me with a smile.

"You're ok with that?" He said apologetically.

"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked.

Jacob chatted to me about his experience. He hadn't been hurt too badly. Zhi had broken his collar bone and then mentally battled him into submission. He spent the rest of the event lying on the floor in human form. He also talked about the first time he turned into a wolf, and he explained to me how the powers of his tribe worked. They weren't really "werewolves." Different families on the Reservation turned into various animals, the Blacks all turned into wolves. Hearing his enthusiasm reminded me of when Alia and Edward started opening up to me. It felt like they had a lot pent up, but they could let their hair down around me.

"Sounds like you had a lot to get off your chest," I said after a moment of silence.

"I'm sorry, Jack," Jacob said. "The earplugs didn't work. I could hear through them."

"It's ok," I said. "It's not your fault."

"That's what Dr. Cullen keeps saying," Jacob said. Ah, he didn't want to hear that.

We sat in silence for a bit. It wasn't awkward; it was mellow.

"I'm glad you were with me," I said.

"Even if I was useless?" He asked.

"I refuse to believe you were useless!" I exclaimed. "You are a giant wolf! You must have at least surprised her!"

Jacob smiled. "Thanks." He nodded, "And I did surprise her." We both chuckled. Jacob looked down.

"Thank you for listening to me." He said.

"You can talk to me any time," I said.

He continued to visit me regularly after that. He'd wheel me over to rehab and sit there while I tried to learn to walk again. Then we'd go to Alia's room and chat to her for a little bit. I hoped us talking would catch her interest, but she remained a sleeping beauty.


	38. Singing Beauty

Alia had a similar bed set up to mine. Since we'd both had surgery on our shoulders, we'd both been propped up, so we slept in a slightly reclined position. It'd be a couple of weeks before I'd be allowed to sleep lying down again.

Today, I was sitting next to her by myself. I didn't have much to say. I rarely did when Jacob wasn't with me. But I held her hand and smiled at her. I felt terrible that this had happened to her.

I looked at her face. She almost looked like a different person without all the fun expressions she wore. I tried to remember when we first met. All I could really remember was us, me, Alia and Edward, sitting together and she was humming something. It had really annoyed him. Wait, that song; she sang it in class and in the car too, I think? What song was it? I focused on the memory: her pout, Edward rolling his eyes. Suddenly the tune popped in my head. It was so catchy and upbeat. It was really suited to her. I leaned back in my chair and started humming it. I sang it through once and was about to start an encore when I looked back to Alia and stopped dead in my tracks.

Alia's eyes were open. She was looking at me. I stared at her, my mouth was definitely agape. She looked so curious. When I sat up, her eyes followed me. She could see me.

"Alia?" I said, "Can you hear me."

She blinked.

"It's me, Jack." I gestured to myself. Alia looked up in her familiar thinking face. I smiled. I gave her time to think, then she looked at me again; her expression returned to curious.

"I'm your…" I was going to say 'boyfriend,' but I didn't want to be presumptuous. "your … Friend." She tilted her head and smiled vacantly. It didn't look like it registered. She seemed to be stuck in her head.

"Do you know me?" I whispered. I was suddenly afraid that she didn't remember me at all. That we'd have to build what we had from the ground up.

She smiled kindly, but it didn't look like she recognized me.

"Hmmm." Alia sighed. She closed her eyes, and a tear rolled down her cheek. I lurched forward and groaned, caressing my side. Ribs were not up for that.

"A-Alia." I managed. "Are you in pain? Do you need anything?"

She started humming another tune. It was quiet like she was humming to just herself. I rolled closer to her to listen. I recognized the theme, but I didn't know what song it was.

"Do you want me to call a nurse?" I whispered. Alia paused, keeping her eyes closed, then she started humming again.

Suddenly a couple of nurses appeared next to me. The one who was my usual nurse began to wheel me out.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I asked.

"Dr. Cullen is going to need to asses her." The nurse replied. "Don't worry, you'll be able to come back."

She rolled me back to my room, and since it was so close to the end of the day, she helped me get back in my bed. Once she was gone, I tried to figure out what the song Alia had sung to me meant. I was still mulling it over when Jacob came in.

"Hey, did you know Alia's awake!" He exclaimed.

"Yeah," I muttered. Jacob frowned.

"You don't seem that enthused." He said.

"Oh, I'm happy. I'm just having trouble with something." I said.

"Oh, what is it? Maybe I can help." Jacob sat on the edge of my bed.

"Alright," I said. "When Alia saw me, she started to cry, and then she hummed this song." I hummed it.

Jacob smiled. "I know that song."

"I do too," I said. "But I don't remember what it was called."

"It's called 'Still Into You' by Paramore."

I froze. Now that I had its name, I remembered some of its lyrics.

"Wow, you have amazing pitch," Jacob noted. "You sang that really well."

"Jacob!" I crowed, startling him. "She's still into me! She's taking back her break up!" I was delighted!

"Woah!" Jacob said. "You guys broke up?"

"Nah!" I said with confidence. "Alia was coerced into breaking up with me by that evil vampire! She's still mine."

"Really?"

"She didn't tell you?" I asked. Jacob scrunched up his face as he thought.

"No, she told me you were in danger and then ran out to help you." He said. "I had to drive her, so she'd arrive alive."

This fueled the fire in my soul. I puffed out my chest.

"I'm going to walk without this wheelchair by the end of this week." I declared.

"Woah," Jacob said. "I don't know anything about medicine, but I'm not sure how possible that is."

"Just watch me."

Alia and I made excellent progress over the course of two weeks. Alia had pretty bad brain trauma and had temporarily lost the ability to talk. Her rehabilitation had a physical part where she learned to walk with her new hips and a cognitive part where she trained to speak. Since all she did was sing, the nurses were using music to help her. She quickly picked up singing and piggybacked off that into speech.

We started to meet up during our physical therapy. At first, it was pretty silent. She didn't talk, and I didn't want to pressure her, but we stole so many glances that I knew we were fine. She was in a lot of pain, but she seemed determined to recuperate as fast a possible. By the beginning of the next week, I was able to walk around on my own with a walking cane for a few minutes, and Alia was able to form her own sentences as long as she sang them to the tunes of songs she liked.

In the middle of the week, we started to talk during our physical rehab. She would sometimes forget what was going on and get confused but as time went on her cognitive abilities bounced back strong. By the beginning of week three of music therapy, she was able to talk without singing.

We didn't talk about the incident. We talked about the random things we used to talk about at the beginning of our relationship. A lot of the conversations we had were probably carbon copies of the conversations we had in the past, but we didn't care. We just liked talking to each other.

By the end of July, we'd both recovered physically enough to walk around on our own. On the twenty-ninth, we delved back to that day.

"So." Alia had started casually.

"Yeah?" I asked warmly.

"I'm sorry about… that day." She said. I looked down.

"It's ok. I know it wasn't real." I glanced at her. "Right?"

"Yes." She said. "I didn't mean it. I'm still into you."

I smiled.

"But I didn't lie about Edward."

I frowned, confused. "Huh?"

"She got to me before that day," Alia said. As we slowly waddled down the hall, she looked at her feet. "She told me to love Edward."

I felt my face grow warm. "Are you still under her control?" I could feel my heart beating as I waited for her answer. Could I trust her? I watched her as she thought. She had a look of concentration, and I believed her when she said:

"No. I think the surgeries gave my brain a hard reboot. I was so out of it before, but I'm completely with it now."

"And you're in love with Edward?" I felt my heart heaving against its rib cage. Alia turned to me.

"I already liked him." Alia explained desperately, "It didn't take much for my forced feelings for him to turn genuine. He's so lovable!"

I stopped and leaned against the wall. I couldn't believe that this was happening again.

"But," She said, "It didn't change how I felt about you."

I put my hand on my forehead. "What do you mean?"

"I'm still crazy into you, and I don't want to break up." She said. My heart stopped mid-heave in confusion.

"What?" I said. "So, you're in love with both of us, and you want to keep dating me?"

"Yes."

"Even if I'm not as attractive as Edward."

She put her hand on my shoulder. "You're both super hot."

I chuckled.

"Do you still want to date me?" She asked after a second of silence.

"Yes," I said. "I really like you." I paused. "I can't really get over that you're into Edward though."

"Why?" She asked.

"Because I'm jealous of him," I said. "I'm afraid you'll grow to like him better than me."

Alia stayed quiet for another moment.

"That won't happen." She said. "I think I'll always love both of you." She sat down on a waiting room chair, and I sat in the chair next to her. We sat in silence.

"Did you know I have two metal hips now?" Alia sang suddenly. I looked at her.

"Yeah?" I said. "I got a metal shoulder."

"Hey! So do I!" She exclaimed. "We have so much in common."


	39. The Trio Returns

I was currently lounging on my hospital bed with a book, ready to leave. Charlie was coming to pick me up at one. I had a tight bandage around my shoulder and torso under a dark shirt. It felt good to be out of my hospital gown and in civilian clothes again. I tentatively stretched my shoulders. It stung, but it wasn't painful anymore.

I wasn't really reading my book. I was wrestling with my feelings while looking at the pages. I knew that I still liked Alia and it hurt me that she… well, she said she still liked me but… I felt like the writing on the wall read that Alia and Edward were going to end up together.

"Did you miss me?" a familiar voice sung. I looked up and saw Edward saunter into my room. Speak of the devil. I frowned and looked back at my book.

"Sure did," I muttered. Edward picked up on my tone.

"You didn't miss me?" He asked. "I thought I was your bro."

I sighed and closed my book. I really shouldn't take out my frustrations on him. It wasn't his fault that this happened.

"I did miss you," I said grudgingly. "I'm just tired."

"Hmm." Edward mused. He edged closer to me with his head tilted forward. "Are you really tired?"

"Yes," I said, my eyes narrowed at him. Edward stopped approaching me and frowned.

"Are you… mad at me?" He cocked his head to the side.

I sagged. He caught me red handed.

"Yes," I said. "No. Sort of."

"I see," Edward said. He flashed to the door and leaned against it. "May I ask why?"

"I don't want to talk about it." I huffed.

"I see," Edward said again. He smiled as he watched me crawl off the bed with my book. Then it struck me.

"Wait, why are you here?" I asked, realizing that he was back at the hospital.

"To pick you and Alia up." He answered. "It's time to go home."

I blinked at him. "Our parents are ok with that?"

"Yes."

I rubbed my arms with my hands. Ever since Alia had admitted that she had feelings for Edward, I felt awkward around her. I know it was selfish of me, but I didn't want Alia to think of anyone romantically except me. Being with her reminded me that she also thought romantically of Edward. Now that he was here it became apparent that those awkward feelings had bled over to him.

"Are you cold?" Edward asked.

"Yes." I lied.

"Come on." He said, "Let's go get Alia."

I nodded and wordlessly followed him. I walked a few steps behind him. He kept glancing at me nervously. I felt bad for feeling so much aggression towards him. But I felt like I had to compete against him for Alia. When we got to Alia's room, she was ready to go in a tank top and sports shorts. My heart lurched. I couldn't help it. Despite my confused feelings she still drove me insane!

"Jack! Edward!" She exclaimed. She hobbled over to us and hugged Edward in one arm and waved me over with her other, then she embraced me when I was close enough. I smiled weakly. She pulled back.

"Ed, you're driving us home?" She said with a smile. I looked at Edward and noticed he had an odd expression on his face. He looked smitten. I turned away and silently fumed.

"I…uh…yes." Edward stammered. "I need to take you to my house."

"Cool!" She said. "I'm ready to go. Your dad just signed the discharge papers!"

We walked together to the exit. I was between Edward and Alia, just like we used to walk at school. Being the three of us again felt nostalgic. It felt like forever since things were normal. The nostalgia kept building up as we climbed into Edward's car. Alia in the back seat and me in the passenger seat. It was all so familiar. We all put our seat belts on and were soon on the road. We drove in silence for a few minutes. The tension was getting pretty thick until Alia broke the ice.

"So why are we going to your house?" She asked.

"We need to talk to our families," Edward answered. "They're all at my place."

"Woah!" Alia exclaimed. "Like a superhero team!"

Edward chuckled. "Something like that."

I was sitting with my arms crossed and their banter annoyed me. They must have picked up on my discomfort because they soon lapsed back into silence.

"Are we going to talk about us?" Alia asked after a while. Edward and I tensed up. She leaned forward, so she was closer to us. "I know you both know what I'm talking about."

Edward's eyebrows furrowed, his eyes flashed to her then he nodded. "I see."

"Do you?" I said sarcastically. I bit my lip, I was being unfair.

"I didn't hear her until now." He said nonchalantly.

"Wait, what?" I said. "I thought you could hear someone from across a room."

"Not for now. I'm slowly getting my mind reading back." Edward said.

"What do you mean?" Alia exclaimed, startling me.

"I lost a lot of blood," Edward said. "Ah, I forgot that you don't know. For a while, I couldn't read minds. I can now though, but only if I focus on the person, I want to read."

"Huh." Alia mused. "I guess we're all on the mend."

I sighed weakly. All three of us had been broken and were now healing. I didn't want to divide us. This event should have brought us closer.

"You know what I want to say then." She said quietly. She looked nervous.

"You want me to say it?" Edward said. Alia nodded. I snapped to attention. They were think talking without me again.

"What?" I said.

"Alia wants to try something with us," Edward said. "She wants to see both of us."

I knew it! This was the beginning! She was going to move on from me to Edward. I looked down. I didn't know what to say. I sort of preferred her to just finish it with me before starting with Edward.

"And she wants us to see each other."

All the fury and panic caved into confusion.

"I think the three of us should be together in love and war," Alia said mater-of-fact-ly. I stared at her. She wanted to two-time us and have us to… what, be romantic with each other?

"That is not happening!" I exclaimed.

"Why not?" Alia piped.

"Because I'm straight!" I said.

"I'm not saying to get frisky on your first outing," Alia exclaimed back at me. "Just hang out and be dudes, or whatever."

"I like this idea," Edward said.

"Of course you do," I grumbled. "You've had it out for me since day one."

Edward laughed, and Alia joined in.

"Stop laughing!" I said, "This is serious!"

"You're too cute, Jack." Edward chuckled. I couldn't help but suppress a goofy smile.

"It's just an idea," Alia said. "I don't want to do anything that'll make you uncomfortable." I looked at her. She looked disappointed as she leaned back in her seat. I felt a pang in my chest. Had I made her feel like that? I had to admit, it was easy being myself around these two. I liked Alia, and I liked Edward. I just liked them in two different ways. Was it possible to change how I felt? I shook my head. A part of me was so certain that if Alia started going out with Edward that she would drop me out of her life, but another part of me acknowledged how out of character that would be for her. But it wasn't impossible.

I turned to Alia. "Hey."

"Yeah?" She straightened up a little.

"Why do you want to do this?" I asked. I wanted to know the motive behind this. "Be honest."

Alia thought for a minute. "I think the three of us need to spend quality one on one time with each other. I love you and Edward, he loves you and me, and you love us. It makes more sense than doing something hurtful like staying with you then cheating on you." I flinched. I hadn't thought about that. That would be a million times worse than her just dumping me. "I want you to know everything we're doing so the three of us are on one page." I looked out her window. "I also don't want to leave anyone out. I know how it feels to be left out."

I watched her. I think I understood what she was trying to do. Since the three of us were caught in a love triangle in one direction (me to her, her to Edward and him to me) she wanted to work it in the other direction, so we'd all feel… vindicated romantically. It made sense in a way only Alia could think of. I sighed loudly. She turned to me.

"I think I'll try it out," I said hesitantly. She lit up.

"Really?"

"But I'm not dating Edward." I clarified. "Ok? We're just two bros hanging out."

"Sweet!" She said. "I've got it all scheduled out. We'll have date nights on specific days. I'll go with Jack on Tuesdays and Edward on Thursdays. Then you two can have a bro's night on Wednesday. How's that work?"

"Wow, Alia." Edward chimed. "You've got this all figured out. How long have you been planning this?"

Alia blushed. "The last few months are a bit fuzzy, but I think the raw idea came a few months ago. But I really started planning it when I told Jack about my feelings a week ago."

I raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Jack, you were holding in so much hurt, I could read it," Alia said. "And so was Edward when he came in today. We can't go on like this if just being with each other hurts us."

No one had anything to say after that, so we sat in silence and let it sink in.

"Well," Edward said as he pulled his car up to his gigantic house. "We're here."


	40. Recounting for Lost Time

We entered the dining room where our families were waiting. Each family stood around the table grouped near their own. I looked around and saw, from left to right, was the Vetchers, the Blacks and the Cullens. I noticed that my dad wasn't there. Alia was looking around at everything in the house.

"Woah!" She gasped. "I didn't know your house was so big!"

"Yes," Edward said.

"Guys!" Jacob called cheerily.

"Jake!" Alia exclaimed back. "Good to see you again!"

"Good to see- ugh!" Jacob's sentence cut off as his father elbowed him. I suppressed a smile. Alia and Jacob had failed to read the room. Everyone was very serious, angry almost. Now was not the time for fooling around.

"Nice to see you here," Carlisle said pleasantly. My mind did a double take when I recalled that he had been at the hospital when we left, then I remembered that he could probably run faster than any form of transportation.

"Now that they're here," The man I assumed was Alia's father said, "Can we continue?"

"Yes, yes," Billy said. He gave me a steely glare. I turtled out of guilt.

Everyone stared at us quietly.

"What were you thinking?!" Alia's mother suddenly screeched.

"How should I know?" Alia exclaimed. "I have brain damage! I don't remember anything clearly anymore! I don't even remember what went down, just that it went down!"

"Oh my word, Alia!" her mother sighed in exasperation.

"You were extremely irresponsible!" Her father said sternly.

"You didn't do the tests!" Her sister, Vero added.

"I know that!" Alia hissed.

"Hey, hey!" Carlisle called over everyone. "Let's all calm down. We're here to work together." The Vetchers huddled closer together and crossed their arms.

"Yes." Billy said, "We are united against a common enemy."

Edward sighed and massaged his temples.

"Are you ok?" I whispered.

"Not used to so many people shouting their thoughts." He whispered back.

"What are we doing here, anyway?" Alia asked.

Her parents looked overwhelmed.

"We need to know what you know about the Vampire known as Zhi," Carlisle said calmly.

The three of us sat in silence while everyone stared at us expectantly.

"Why would we know?" I asked. "Didn't Edward tell you what you needed to know?"

Edward looked away.

"You, Alia and Jacob were able to circumvent her commands to a point." He muttered. "I don't know how you did that."

Everyone once again stared at us silently. I glanced at my friends. They looked uneasy. I decided to take to the lead.

"I'm not sure why," I began, "but I'm immune to mind powers. Edward and Alice can't hear me, and Zhi can't control me."

The Vetchers glared at me. I shrank back. I didn't expect such hostility from them.

"I can't remember what I did," Alia said looking up in thought. "All I remember is hanging out with Jack."

She seemed to have said that last part to annoy her parents. I looked down at my lap. Did her family have something against me? There was an awkward pause.

"Is there anything else you can suggest?" Esme asked.

Alia shrugged. "What even happened?"

Jacob suddenly sat up straight. "I think I know what you did." Everyone looked at him. He looked around nervously.

"Jacob," Billy said. "Would you mind filling in the missing details again?"

"Yeah." Jacob said, "So Alia and I came in to save Jack and Edward. Zhi was using Teddy as a shield so that Edward couldn't fight her." Edward bowed his head. "Alia went to help Jack and Zhi asked why she wouldn't leave Jack alone since they weren't dating, and Alia said that Zhi hadn't said anything about not helping out friends."

I looked at Alia, her face was red. I felt my own cheeks grow warm and I looked away.

"Then our parents came in and saved us," Jacob concluded.*

Everyone looked back at us.

"Oh yeah." Alia mused. "I used loopholes in her orders." She brought her hand to her side. "When she told me to stab myself, I stabbed a nonvital area. When she told me to break up with Jack, I stayed friends with him."

Alia's mom sighed and removed her glasses to rub her eyes.

"This is good to know," Carlisle said. Billy nodded. The other parents and siblings in the room began to murmur amongst themselves.

"What about my dad?" I asked Edward. He looked at me.

"Your father thinks you're coming home in a couple of hours." He said.

"I mean…" I started.

"Ok," Carlisle said loudly, cutting me off. "We will continue searching for Zhi. Meanwhile, you four must promise not to go after her on your own."

He paused, waiting for us to acknowledge what he had said. I nodded.

"It's our responsibility to keep you safe." He continued. "This means you can't keep any secrets from us." Edward, Jacob, and Alia all got knowing glares from their respective families. Alia's family also glared at me. The four of us sulked.

After that, we were all sent home. Alia wanted to ride with me and Edward, but her parents insisted on driving her home directly.

"I'll text you tonight." She said as she left. Edward and I waved at her as we went to his car.

When we were in and buckled up, we just sat there for a bit.

"So…" I started.

"Yes?" Edward answered.

"That was something," I said.

"Yes, it was." He looked over at me. "Are you ok?"

I turned my head to him. "Yes, why?"

"You look a little shaken up." He leaned over, so his head was closer to mine. I frowned. I didn't really want him reading my muddled mind right…

"What's that?" I asked. It sounded like whispering. Was I hearing things?

Edward froze. "What's what?" He asked.

"I thought I heard something," I said.

Edward frowned and drew away from me. The sound faded away.

"Never mind," I said. "It's gone now."

Edward looked at me confused. He drew closer to me again.

"What?" I asked shifting away from him.

"I want to see something." He whispered. "What do you hear? Close your eyes if it helps."

I frowned but obeyed. I closed my eyes and listened. I heard people whispering, running water, chittering of animals, the water pump slam as the water noise stopped… then I saw something. It was faded like an old memory, but it couldn't have been because it was me. More accurately, I was seeing myself from Edward's point of view. I had my eyes closed, and my brow was furrowed in concentration. My eyes flew open, and I jerked away from Edward.

"Woah!" I exclaimed.

"What?" Edward asked.

"What was that?" I asked loudly. Edward looked around and suddenly started the car.

"People are listening." He said, and we drove off.

*If you want a chapter detailing the parents saving their kids, tell me in the comments.


	41. What's Wrong with Me?

We parked in the parking space of a park. During the quick ride there, a panic slowly blossomed in my chest. By the time we stopped, I was actively trying not to freak out. Seeing myself through Edward's eyes had thrown my understanding of myself into question. Was I even human? If I was, does this happen to everyone when they get close to a vampire? If I wasn't, had Edward been wrong when he said that I hadn't been turned into a vampire by Zhi?

Was I somehow… wrong?

"Edward?" I asked as soon as we stopped. "What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing is wrong with you, Jack," Edward said with an edge in his voice.

All my questions came tumbling out suddenly. "Oh my Gosh! Can I read minds? Is that a thing I have? Am I not human? Am I a freak?"

"Jack." Edward hissed.

"Am I a vampire? Did Zhi change me?! Am I dead?"

"Jack!" Edward exclaimed. "Calm down. Your panic is intensifying your smell in this car!"

I stopped and held my breath. I turned to him and noticed that his hands were gripped tight on the steering wheel. When I looked into his dark onyx eyes, I realized that he was running low on blood supplies.

"Oh." I murmured. I quickly composed myself with a few deep breaths. "Sorry."

"To answer your questions," Edward said. "In order: I don't think you read minds, you're doing something else, I'm not sure if you're fully human, maybe you're a freak, you are not a vampire, Zhi didn't change you, and you are still alive."

I took in his answers. Hearing them so definitively calmed me down a bit. I relaxed in my seat.

"If I'm not reading minds then what am I doing?" I asked.

"I'm not sure." He answered. "I want to do an experiment with you." He added casually. I looked at him and frowned.

"With your mind." Edward grinned at me. "Get your head out of the gutter."

I looked around nervously. I knew this meant that he and I were going to be sharing headspace and I didn't want anyone to see us.

"No one's around," Edward said. I glanced at him. He looked at me and nodded. He was waiting for me to make the first move. I sighed and shifted my weight.

"Slowly." He said. "I want to test your range."

I rolled my eyes and slowly tilted towards him. Very slowly the sound of the world around me amplified. I felt like I could hear through the car doors and the closer Edward and I got the clearer I could hear. I could also smell more things. Very faintly was the smell of grass, trees, rubber, old shoes but front and center was an alluring mouthwatering smell. It was so strong it almost completely eliminated all of the other aromas. Suddenly I felt a burning sensation in my throat like I hadn't had anything to drink in years.

I jerked away from him, slamming myself into the car door. The dryness in my throat bringing on a fit of coughing.

"Are you ok?" Edward seemed alarmed, though he stayed in his position, trying to keep his distance.

"Ugh, how can you stand that?" I gasped clutching at my neck.

"What?" Edward grimaced. "The thirst?"

My hacking and wheezing answered him. Once the dryness in my throat subsided, I looked at him. His expression was unreadable. He was staring at me.

"What?" I croaked.

"I heard you." He said. "You were focusing on your surroundings." His brow furrowed. "I focused on what you were doing. You weren't really reading my mind, you were using its abilities."

I leaned against the window, emotionally spent.

"Wow." I sighed. "I wonder what that means about me. I mean, what am I?"

"I'm not sure," Edward said. "I suspect that you are part something, though."

"Like what?"

"You're mostly human," Edward said. "It must come from your mother's side."

I froze. I suddenly remembered that the nurse at the endocrinologist asking me odd questions about my mom. I realize now that she must have been under Zhi's control, but why were she and Edward so confident that my mother wasn't all human?

"Zhi said that too." I murmured. "How do you know it's not my dad?"

Edward raised an eyebrow. "Because his lineage has been traced and it's all human. When did Zhi ask this?"

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" I asked. "You traced my dad's lineage? How?"

Edward frowned. "Answer my question first." I rolled my eyes.

"At the endocrinologist," I answered. "The second time, I think."

Edward turned away from me.

"I wasn't paying attention." He growled. He rested his forehead on the steering wheel. "I should've been more vigilant."

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now." I shrugged. "So, there's no point worrying about it."

Edward tilted his face towards me. "What a very Alia thing to say." He noted.

"I guess she rubbed off on us." I sighed.

"Do you want to go home?" Edward asked.

"Sure," I said. "But what about my dad?"

Edward sighed, impatient. "I'll answer that later."

I crossed my arms. "That's not fair."

Edward snapped at me. "I'll answer it later." He hissed. He must have entered my head space because I got a whiff of this thirst again. I calmed down upon realizing that he was probably "hangry."

"Uh, yeah. Sure." I said. "I guess you need to hunt."

Edward sighed and slumped in his seat. "Alright. Let's go."

\- Hey, so I'm grounded. But, haha! Loophole. You can come to my place on Tuesday.

\- Text me when you get home.

\- I miss you.

I was finally on my bed, reading my texts. Not only did I not know what to say to her but, I was exhausted.

Charlie had been very curious when I got home. He felt guilty for not picking me up at the hospital. He asked me how I was doing, what my relationship was with Edward, what it was with Alia and a million other questions that I didn't remember. I eventually cut him off and said that I needed to go to bed.

Now I was too tired to fat-finger my response to Alia's texts, so I decided to call her. But I still didn't know what I wanted to say. I wanted to tell her about me, but I didn't know how to word it. I wondered if I could hear her thoughts if I brought my head close enough to hers. I vaguely remembered that we had kissed before, but I wasn't sure if I'd noticed anything weird about it. Probably not.

I decided to wing it.

"Jack!" Her voice chimed.

"Hey," I said.

"It's nice to hear your voice!"

"Thanks." I smiled. "Sucks to hear you're grounded."

"Yeah. My parents were mad at me for not doing the vampire tests at school. But they knew that if Edward had been revealed, they would have totally killed him, so they gave me a really light punishment."

"That's good to hear, I guess," I said. I was still trying to come up with what I wanted to say about my new discovery.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." I lied. "I guess I'm just tired."

"Hmm." She said. She sounded like she didn't believe me.

"Aren't you tired?" I asked.

"I guess so."

I smiled "We just got out of the hospital, and we've been through, like, two interrogations!"

Alia giggled. "True." Her tone changed to serious. "Something's worrying you though. I can tell."

I took a deep breath, and my smile widened. "Well, I learned something… uh… interesting about me."

"Oh?" She piped, curious. I felt my cheeks grow warm. I suddenly felt ridiculous for questioning my… species? I'd been human my whole life, and now, I didn't feel like I'd changed too much.

"I'm not all human," I said quickly. I held my breath while I waited for her response. I half expected her to start laughing at me, but this was Alia we were talking about. Maybe she'd understand.

"What do you think you're mixed with?" She answered back 100% seriously. I breathed out.

"I don't know."

"You should come by my place." She said. "I have a library categorizing supernatural beings. Maybe we'll find what you are there."

"Ok first off: you're the best girlfriend ever," I said.

"I am, thank you."

"Second off: Why do you have a library full of supernatural literature?"

"My parent's parents and so on and so on recorded the stuff they ran into," Alia explained. "It's not all 100% accurate, but it's a solid 90."

"Huh…" I said.

"It goes back, like, five generations." She said.

"Well," I said slowly, "I guess we can do that when I come over on Tuesday."

"Sweet! Can't wait to see you!"

We then fell back on the casual conversations that we enjoyed discussing.


	42. What Am I?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter gets a little steamy and contains sexual content. Viewer discretion is advised.

I was nervous. I was dressed in a nice shirt, my favorite vest and a dark pair of jeans. I patted my hair, which I felt was super messy despite the amount of effort I'd put in flattening it out. I was standing in front of Alia's front door, trying to build up the nerve to knock on it. I remembered the glares I had received from her parents. I rubbed my sore leg and took a deep breath. Due to my time in the hospital, my T-day had been changed to Tuesdays. I had been pleasantly surprised that Carlisle had made sure to keep my T-levels up while treating me. Suddenly the door opened. I flinched.  
  
"Jack, what are you doing there?" Alia asked. She was dressed in a tank top and short jeans. I felt my face go red all the way to my hairline.  
  
"I… uh… would you believe me if I said waiting for you?" I cringed at that dumb line. Alia giggled.  
  
"I've been waiting for you too!" She said. "Come on in."  
  
"Hey, how'd you know I was here?" I asked as I walked after her.  
  
"Dude, c'mon." Alia said, "You can hear your truck from China."  
  
Yep, that checked.  
  
I followed her into her cozy little home. I noticed that Alia was barefoot, so I took my shoes off and left them by the closet. I looked around at her small entrance way; it led directly to the kitchen and a hallway with the stairs to the second floor.  
  
"Jack and I are going up now!" Alia called to the kitchen.  
  
"Ok." Her mother called back unenthusiastically.  
  
I sagged. I guess Alia's mother still didn't like me.  
  
I followed Alia upstairs to her room. Although it was small, she had taken advantage of the space through the way she had organized her furniture. Her room was cluttered but not messy, it looked exactly what I imagined the inside of her mind to look like.  
  
Alia bounced on to her bed which had three small diaries on it. I went over to them and looked at Alia as she lay on her bed. She had her eyes closed.  
  
"So, how are you doing?" I asked.  
  
"Great," She said pleasantly. She sat up. "Do you want to look over the books?"  
  
I looked at them. The books seemed very old; they were made of leather and were sown together. They were also small than I was expecting. I don't know why but I sort of expected them to be as big as dictionaries.  
  
"Sure," I said. "Are these all the books you have?"  
  
"No." Alia opened the top book and began flipping through its pages. "I'm not allowed to bring non-family members into it, so I brought the relevant books here."  
  
"Oh," I said. I looked around her room awkwardly. I wasn't quite sure what to do with myself.  
  
"Hey, sit next to me." Alia beckoned me over. I smiled and sat next to her on her bed. She put the top book on her lap.  
  
"So, I looked through these books, and there's a few creatures that have powers that sort of sound like what you've got." She flipped through the pages and put her finger down on one.  
  
"Here."  
  
I looked at the page. The page had an illustration of a winged figure with a halo over their head in an elegant pose.  
  
"You think I'm an angel?" I asked.  
  
"Oops." Alia grinned, "Yes I do but, wrong page." She flipped it to the next one.  
  
"Here!"  
  
This page had an image of a rather ugly monkey with the most mischievous smile. There was writing around it, but it was in Chinese so I couldn't read it. I scrunched my nose.  
  
"Charming," I said sarcastically. Alia giggled.  
  
"It's not about looks," she said. "The Satodi has the ability to read minds. It usually says what people are thinking."  
  
"Huh," I said, "That's not what I'm doing."  
  
"Really?" Alia asked. She looked at me with her gorgeous eyes. My mind flashed to Edward and me in his car, and I blushed.  
  
"Uh… Edward… He said that I was using his mind's powers, but I wasn't reading it."  
  
"How'd you figure that out?" She asked with a smirk. I think she knew how we figured it out. I decided to humor her.  
  
"Like this," I said. I brought my head closer to hers. She smiled and leaned into it. When our foreheads were almost touching, we locked eyes.  
  
"Do you hear anything?" She asked.  
  
I closed my eyes. I focused on my surroundings again. It was different from being with Edward. I didn't hear anything or smell anything. It was like every other time I'd shared headspace with Alia. It was just me.  
  
"I don't hear anything," I whispered. "Your head must be empty."  
  
Alia gasped as she jerked away from me.  
  
"Oh! You!" She hit my arm playfully.  
  
I grinned.  
  
"You asked!" I cackled.  
  
She pushed me over, and I fell in an exaggerated fashion.  
  
"Such a temper!" I said through a smile. "Maybe you're the one mixed with something!"  
  
Alia flopped on top of me. The two of us were laughing. We gradually stopped, and we found each other looking into each other's eyes. I felt a pang of something bloom in my chest; it ramped up my heartbeat. She was so beautiful, and not just her body but her personality too.  
  
I wanted to touch her. I slowly raised my hand to her face. She lowered her face to mine slowly. I lidded my eyes.  
  
She pressed her lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around her and pulled her closer. It started off as light kissing, but it quickly became more passionate. As I massaged her back, I felt one of my fingers slip under her shirt. My breath caught, and I hesitated. Then I brought my hand up, slowly bringing her shirt up with it. She wasn't wearing a bra. Alia arched her back and broke from me to slip her shirt off. I felt her hands on my skin; she was playing with my shirt too.  
  
I sat up and let her take it off.   
  
I had stopped thinking, I was acting almost instinctually. We both were. We push toward each other. Her breasts were soft against my chest, they heightened the rush.  
  
I ran my hands over her body, and she moaned into my mouth.  
  
A pressure began to build inside of me. It pushed me further and further towards her.   
  
I let my right-hand drift to her pants. She tilted her head back as I kissed her neck. As much as I loved kissing her, I wanted to explore the rest of her body. As I kissed and nipped at her breasts, she caressed my head.   
  
I slipped my hand into her pants to massage her behind. She was really wet. My breath caught.  
  
Alia gently grabbed my face and pulled me into another kiss. I held her close with my left hand.   
  
I felt one of her hands on my stomach, she wanted to play with me too.  
  
She bit my lip. I growled; she'd surprised a little bit, but moreover, she'd made me even more aroused.   
  
Alia moved her hand into my pants. This suddenly made me painfully aware of how wet I was.   
  
I went still, I could feel my arousal dissipate.   
  
I could feel her hand making its way to my vagina.   
  
I winced and broke away from her. She sat up and quickly pulled away from me.  
  
"Jack! Are you ok?" She gasped, panting. I sat on the edge of her bed panting too. My heart was racing, but it wasn't anticipation or excitement anymore; it was anxiety and shame. I covered my face with my hands and took deep breaths. It had been a while since I had last felt it, but I recognized what I was feeling. Dysphoria.  
  
"Did I do something wrong?" Alia asked. "I'm sorry I took it too far."  
  
I felt embarrassed for making her feel bad, but I didn't know what to say to her. My body wasn't right. It could never love her the way I wanted.  
  
"I'm sorry," Alia said quietly. Her voice sounded so apologetic.  
  
"No." I said, "You didn't do anything wrong. I… I got carried away. I got overwhelmed."  
  
Alia put her hand on my arm. I looked at her, she had her top back on. She was giving me space.  
  
"I'm ok," I said. I thought it over, and I was pretty sure I was okay. Alia smiled at me.


	43. The Wednesday Stroll

"Hey, Jack," Charlie said as he rapped twice on my door. I dredged myself out of my deep stupor and twisted to look at him. What time was it?

"I'm going to work now." He coughed and looked away. "If you need anything, you can call me."

"Yes, dad." I groaned and nodded. Ever since I'd returned home, Charlie had been treating me like I was made of glass. My social media was flooded with a similar sentiment. Although it was nice that my classmates felt bad for attacking me, I never knew what I should say back to the tweets and texts. And thinking of my possible responses left me exhausted.

Once Charlie had actually left, I pulled the covers over my head and closed my eyes. I guess I was still on the mend because I was still always tired, and my shoulder still hurt. I silently promised myself that I'd start working out when my pain dwindled down to a certain threshold.

I was almost back to sleep when... my cellphone vibrated. I tried to ignore it, but it went off again. I poked my hand out and pulled in under the covers with me.

_2 missed calls from unknown number_

I squinted at my phone. Checking my phone also gave me a chance to check the time, which was ten o'clock. I sighed. I placed my phone face down on my bed and curled up. I wasn't really in the mood for socializing. I was still embarrassed about yesterday. The dysphoria had passed relatively quickly, but it embarrassed me that it had returned at all.

Tap, tap, tap.

I went still. No, it couldn't be. I poked my head out of my covers, and there he was, crouched on the other side of my window. Edward Cullen. I dragged my ass out of bed and opened it.

"Hey." I said pointedly, "What did we say about this?"

"You haven't returned my calls," Edward said defensively, "I got concerned." He climbed into my room and looked around.

"I'm just tired," I said, "I was going to get up eventually."

"Have you eaten anything yet?" Edward asked. I sqiunted at him.

"No," I said, "I just got up."

"It's eleven-forty." Edward furrowed his brows. "You need breakfast."

Was it eleven forty already? I must have been dipping in and out of sleep more than I thought. I rubbed my eyes.

"Do you want me to make you something?" Edward asked, "I can make scrambled eggs."

"Ugh," I moaned, "I don't eat eggs."

Edward's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Are you vegan?"

"No. I just think eggs are gross." I stumbled past him towards the bathroom. "I'll make myself something, just later."

"What do you usually have?" Edward asked on the other side of the door.

"Fruits."

Once I was dressed and washed up, I went downstairs. When I entered the kitchen, I found that Edward had made me a fruit salad. He was sitting in the chair opposite to the salad, looking off like he was deep in thought. His eyes flashed to me as I approached the table.

"Um… Thank you," I said. I sat down and began nibbling on my breakfast. He eyed me warily.

"What?" I asked. "Do I have something on my face?"

"What did you have planned for today?" Edward asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Not much," I said. "I was just going to stay in bed and ruminate."

"Ruminate?" Edward frowned, "over what?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Hmmm."

I glared at him. I didn't want to talk to him about my self-image issues. It was too personal.

"It's a good thing I had something planned for today," Edward said. I looked at him, he smiled softly at me. I had to look away. Why did I get the feeling this wasn't going to be two bros hanging out?

"What?" I asked hesitantly.

"It's a surprise," Edward grinned, "We'll leave when you're done eating."

He let me eat in silence. Afterward, I washed my bowl and put it away. Edward seemed excited, he flashed over to the door and opened it for me. I rolled my eyes and went through. Edward appeared next to the driver side of his Volvo. I got into the passenger side.

"Where are we going?" I asked. Edward smiled.

"It's a place I like to go when the weather is nice."

As we drove out of the town limits, we tried to keep up a casual conversation but the rocking of the car and the heat coming from the heater lulled me, and I fell asleep. I woke up when the car abruptly stopped. The road had ended, constricting to a thin foot trail with a small wooden marker. Edward parked on the narrow shoulder and stepped out. I followed suit.

It was surprisingly warm out today. I was glad I'd only come out in a t-shirt. I heard his door slam and looked over to see he was facing away from me, into an unbroken forest.

"This way," he said, glancing over his shoulder at me, a sparkle in his eyes. He started into the dark forest.

"A trail?" I asked as I followed him. I wasn't sure if I had the energy to keep up with him if the hike was long enough. Not that I'd ever tell him that.

"Yeah, there's a trail at the end of the road, not that we're going to take it."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked suspiciously.

"I wanted to show you something?" he said, his grin widening. Oh, God. What did he have planned?

"Show me what?"

"I want to show you how I travel in the forest." He saw my expression. "Don't worry, you'll be very safe. It's a much faster way to travel." His mouth twitched up into a crooked smile.

"Will you turn into a bat?" I asked warily. He laughed, louder than I'd ever heard.

"Like I haven't heard that one before!"

"Right, I'm sure you get that all the time."

"Come on, Jack, climb on my back."

I jerked away from him. "What? No! Why?"

"I want to show you how fast I can run." He made to grab me, and I backed away from him.

"Are you kidding?" I exclaimed, "I just got out of the hospital! If you run with me on your back, you're going to rip my arm off!"

Edward looked taken aback. "But I want to show you how I move through the trees."

"Just tell me where to meet you." I said, "I'll walk."

Edward's face lit up. He did a quick glance around and suddenly lurched into my headspace.

"What - - - ?" I began, but I was cut off by what Edward was doing. He gave me his memory of where he wanted us to meet. I suddenly remembered how to get there as though I had been there many times before as a child. I stumbled back.

"Warn a guy before you do that!" I said.

Edward chuckled. "That way you won't get lost."

We walked the familiar path for about an hour. Occasionally he would ask a random question that popped into his head. He asked about my birthdays, my grade school teachers, my childhood pets — and I told him about my dog, Sadie.

I looked up and recognized this area.

"Hey," I said, "We're almost there. It's darker than I remember." I had to take a moment to digest how weird that statement was. Edward smirked.

"Maybe it's a bit soon for your eyes."

"Time to visit the optometrist," I muttered. His smirk grew more pronounced. But then, after another hundred yards, I could definitely see the lighting in the trees ahead, a glow that was yellow instead of green. We reached the edge of the pool of light and stepped through the last fringe of ferns into the small, round meadow. It was filled with wildflowers — violet, yellow, and soft white. Somewhere nearby, I could hear the bubbling music of a stream. The sun was directly overhead, filling the circle with a haze of buttery sunshine. I strolled through the soft grass, swaying flowers, and warm, gilded air. I was suddenly struck with nostalgia for this place. I sat down and sighed. I looked over to Edward, but he wasn't there. I looked around for him, slightly confused. Finally, I spotted him, still under the dense shade of the canopy at the edge of the hollow, watching me with cautious eyes.

"What?" I asked.

Edward looked away meekly. "I wanted to try something."


	44. The Mind Experiment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Edward wants to see how Jack's powers work but it gets a little weird.

I eyed Edward suspiciously. I wasn't sure what he wanted to try. Edward shifted his weight nervously.

"What?" I asked.

"I wanted to see if we could talk to each other."

I broke into laughter. "How's that going?"

Edward flashed a toothy grin at me. "I mean how Alice and I talk to each other, through our minds."

"Huh." I said, "I never thought about that." I had mostly been focusing on my newfound mind powers in relation to my species. It hadn't yet occurred to me that there could be a practical use to my abilities. I sort of wanted to try it out too now.

"So, what are you doing over there?" I asked.

Edward shifted his weight and smirked mischievously. I became suspicious. What was he doing? Could he hear my mind?

"What?" I asked.

Edward shifted away from me; his eyes locked on to mine. I started to feel apprehensive like I was waiting for something. Curiosity began to push out my suspicion. I was so confounded that I let what I was thinking slip out of my mouth

"What are you thinking?"

_You always ask me that_. I thought to myself. Wait. What had just happened? Why would I answer myself? Unless…

Excitement rushed through me, and I noticed that it also flowed in from a direction. I wasn't the only one thrilled. I turned to Edward, who was beaming at me.

"Woah," I breathed, "Did I just read your mind?"

"It worked." Edward crowed.

"Huh?" I piped. Edward looked away sheepishly.

"I noticed your mind bubble fluctuates in size," He said quietly, "especially when you're curious." I felt a smile play at my lips. Edward was executing another experiment.

"Is that what you were doing?" I asked coyly. Edward dashed over and appeared next to me.

"Are you upset?" He asked, tentatively. I sighed exaggeratedly.

"I'm a bit annoyed you didn't tell me what you were doing," I said, "But I totally understand why you couldn't."

I felt relief seep into me from him. I had an emotional flinch from it, and I felt my face scrunch up.

"What?" Edward asked cautiously. I glanced at him and realized that he couldn't hear me even though I could hear (… hear? Is that the term I want to go with?) him.

"Can you hear me?" I asked, "Because I can hear you."

Edward felt startled, then intrigued.

"Can you?" He asked, "I can't hear you at all." We made eye contact, and I flinched. Edward wanted to see how close to me he'd need to get to hear me. It intrigued me that I could feel what he wanted rather than hearing his thoughts in my head. His emotions were infectious, now I wanted to know too.

"Jack?" Edward whispered.

"Let's find out," I whispered back. Edward knew what I was talking about. He slowly eased his face towards mine. Our faces were about an inch apart when my senses sharpened dramatically. I paused. He was inside of my mind bubble, and I felt a zing of excitement from him.

_Can you hear me?_ He asked. His question echoed in my head. I tried to think of the word "yes," but my mind got distracted and started flitting through thoughts that came from me but were fueled by Edward's emotions. I got flustered and I pulled away, blushing terribly.

"Hey, it's ok!" Edward said, "I understood you!"

"This is really weird, Edward," I muffled into my hands. "I'm so weirded out!" Edward's emotions swung through fear, need to console, awkwardness.

"Stop!" I squawked, trying to hold in the laughter at the absurdity of my next request. "Stop feeling things!"

Edward vanished from my side, once again in the shadow. I began to laugh.

"Are you crying?" Edward called.

"I'm a freak!" I laughed. "I'm on the Halloween list too!" I flopped onto my back and sighed.

"You're not upset?" Edward sounded closer to me.

I chuckled. "It finally all hit me, all at once. Just a few months ago, I thought I lived in a normal world with just humans, but now I live in a world with vampires, werewolves, Satodi's and whatever I am!"

"Satori?" Edward asked curiously, "From Japan? When did you run into one of those?"

"Oh, Alia told me about them," I said nonchalantly. Edward felt a pang in his chest, the same pain I had when I had thought Alia was interested in Edward over me. I stopped laughing and glanced at him with a painful understanding.

"Yes?" Edward asked softly.

"What are you thinking?" I asked.

Edwards feeling shifted. He felt unsure and a little nervous. If his heart had been beating, it would have started beating fast; like mine did.

"I was thinking about the first time I saw you," Edward said so quietly it was almost a whisper. He felt regret.

I tried to remember when we first met, but I just couldn't. I know we met at school, but a lot of the events were all muddled. I guess three concussions will do that to you.

"I don't remember that," I said, "Why do you feel so bad about it?"

A jolt of surprise shot through Edward.

"You're really warming up to your powers." He noted. I scoffed.

"I know, right?"

Edward went silent. I could feel his thoughts racing, but I couldn't hear them.

"It took everything I had not to jump up in the middle of that class full of children and —" He stopped abruptly, his heart metaphorically heaving. "When you walked past me, I could have ruined everything Carlisle has built for us, right then and there. If I hadn't been denying my thirst for the last, well, too many years, I wouldn't have been able to stop myself." He paused, full of self-loathing.

Though I was looking at the sky, I felt him glance at me grimly. "You must have thought I was possessed."

"I probably thought you were a raging transphobe," I noted.

"To me," He continued, "it was like you were some kind of demon, summoned straight from my own personal hell to ruin me. The fragrance coming off your skin… I thought it would make me deranged that first day."

We sat in silence as I let that sink in.

"Please tell me what you're thinking." He whispered. I laughed nervously.

"Please don't kill me?" I joked.

Edward was suddenly next to me, his face over mine. My breath caught.

"What are you really thinking?" He asked. His golden eyes scorched from under his lashes, hypnotic and deadly.

"Uh…" I was suddenly confused. I really wanted him in my headspace, but I had lost track of who was feeling what. With him so close to me, our emotions started getting mixing up.

Edward leaned down and rested his forehead on mine.

I had my eyes closed in preparation for the onslaught of Edward's senses.

But I wasn't prepared for what happened. Edward's mind seemed to mingle with mine. I heard his thoughts, saw his memories, and felt his feelings. I remembered the day we met from his perspective. I felt his affection for Alia and me. I smelled my blood, and I saw me through his eyes. _You look amazing in the sunlight_. His thoughts echoed in my head.

I gasped, and Edward vanished.

As I curled up, I felt my mind bubble recoil from the world.

"I'm sorry," Edward said, just loud enough for my ears. "Jack?"

"Give me a moment," I called. I sat very still.

After ten incredibly long seconds, I heard him approach me. I looked up at him. He stopped, still several feet away, and sank gracefully to the ground, crossing his legs. His eyes never left mine. I took two deep breaths and then smiled.

"I am so very sorry." He hesitated. "Would you understand what I meant if I said I was only human?"

I chuckled weakly at his joke. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins as the flurry of emotions left my body aroused. He could smell that from where he sat. He looked away and smiled awkwardly.

"Stop that!" I exclaimed, "It's your fault!"

Edward bit his lip as he clearly held in laughter. I fumed with embarrassment. Suddenly next to me, he wrapped an arm around me and gave me a gentle squeeze.

"Don't be embarrassed," He said, "I'm easily flustered too." I looked into his eyes, abruptly grasping that this was every bit as new to him as it was to me. As many years of unfathomable experience as he had, this was hard for him, too. It was worse for him because he knew his feelings weren't returned.

"I'm sorry." I sighed.

Edward remained silent. He seemed to be lost in dark thought. It was like he was in the middle of an unpleasant memory.

"Hey," I said. "You ok?"

Edward blinked.

"Jack," his voice was strained. "I couldn't live with myself if I ever hurt you." He looked down, ashamed again. "The sight of you, still, white, cold… I never want to see you like that again. The thought of a world where I'd never see you… it would be unendurable." He lifted his agonized eyes to mine. "I'm sorry about Zhi."

I looked away and tried to remember that day. It was weak, but I recalled being deadnamed, being bitten by Zhi and… that was about it. I shivered.

"This really turned into an apology fest, didn't it?" I muttered.

"Do you want to call it a night?" Edward whispered.

"Yes." I hugged my knees tighter, "Not that this wasn't fun, but it _is_ getting late."


	45. Besties Forever!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack, Edward, and Alia get ready for school. The journey was nice

I was sitting at the kitchen table. Charlie had left for work, and I didn't have any plans for the day. I was just about to initiate the ironic task of planning out how I would make a plan for today when I got a text from Alia.

_A: Hey! Do you need school supplies?_

I blushed. Ever since that day we got... uh... frisky in her room I had felt a little awkward around her. She still drove me crazy, but that made me very conscious of my body. Before I could dive back into deep rumination, I got another text.

_E: I am willing to drive. ~Edward_

I almost did a double-take. I looked at the conversation group and found that Alia had group texted me with Edward. I didn't know he had a cell phone.

_J: I could use some supplies._

_J: Edward, since when did you get a cell?_

_E: I've decided to at least try to keep up with the times. ~ Edward_

I smirked. Was Edward going to sign his name for every text?

_A: My parents are letting me go out to shop at Staples. If we're all going wanna carpool?_

_E: I can pick you up first, then Jack. ~ Edward_

_J: That works for me, what time will you get here?_

_A: Half an hour._

_E: See you then. ~ Edward_

I was pretty much ready to go, so I finished my breakfast, washed the dishes, and then went upstairs to wash my face.

As I was walking down the stairs, my phone buzzed.

_A: We're here!_

"We're here!" Alia chimed when I answered the door. She was dressed in a cute spring jacket with a short frilly skirt that showed off her legs. I felt all my blood rush to my face.

"Uh, hey," I managed. I turned to Edward; his eyes were light topaz today.

"You're looking better," I noted, trying to distract myself.

"Thank you." He said pleasantly.

"Show him your phone, Edward!" Alia urged. I looked at her with an eyebrow raised then I back to Edward.

"What?" I asked. Edward rolled his eyes and brought out his cell phone; a flip phone.

"Isn't it retro?!" Alia asked. It was a little amusing.

"Why do you have such an old phone?" I asked.

"I have a flip phone because touch screens don't acknowledge my fingers." Edward stated, "They're too cold."

"Oh." That makes sense.

"He's an old guy with old tech." Alia sang.

"Let's go." Edward said, gently shoving Alia, "I thought we came to get ready for school, not to ridicule me."

During the drive, Alia explained that since school was coming up, her grounding was beginning to wane, and I wasn't complaining about that. It was bizarre and intimate being alone with her in her room. I realized that this would be the first time since we were discharged that we'd be together outside of her house. Edward remained silent.

It became evident at the store that this was just an excuse for us to meet with each other. The three of us already had most of the required materials, and we spent most of the time just chatting and walking down the aisles. Alia bounced through the store, showing off her newly regained energy and agility.

It was refreshing to be the three of us again.

After an hour we decided to leave with what we had. Alia bought a couple of color pens, and I got a new binder. Edward didn't get anything.

We felt that it was too early to go home, so we went to get ice cream.

Edward brought us to this little shop next to a small river. It mostly rented out movies, but they had a small nook designated for ice cream and a dock outside you could sit on while enjoying said ice cream.

"Hey!" Alia said, taking note of my ice cream, "You don't like cones?"

"What?" I said as I scooped up some of my dessert with my tiny spoon, "Oh, no. I don't."

"Really?!" Alia seemed shocked, "Why not?"

"Because," I said, "I want to eat the ice cream without competing flavors." I watched as Alia licked her ice cream as it dribbled down the side of its wafer container.

"Why do you like cones?" I asked with a smirk.

"It's extra yumminess!" She beamed with childlike enthusiasm. I couldn't help but laugh.

"Hey, Edward." Alia giggled. "How did you take your ice cream?"

Edward looked at us while he thought.

"I... uh..." He murmured slowly. "I can't remember."

I looked at him, he seemed mellow.

"That's ok!" Alia sang. "Man, I can't believe summer is already over!"

"Yeah," I said.

"It'll be nice to go back to school." Alia continued, "I'm looking forward to reconnecting with our old friends. I miss Teddy. I wonder what he's been up to."

I looked at my ice cream. I know we had to go back to school, but there was so much in the air right now. What grade would we be going into? No one took the final exams, so would we all fail? Speaking of "everyone," how was I going to be treated at school? It was safe to say that everyone had a working awareness of my situation, and I was a little nervous about that. Edward had mentioned one time that I had been banned from using the boy's washrooms by the principle. I didn't remember that, but I guess three concussions will do that to a guy.

"What's wrong, Jack?" Alia asked. I blinked and met her gaze. I felt a little guilty for tuning her out.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" I asked.

"Is everything ok?" Alia asked. "you seemed out of it for a bit." I wasn't sure if I wanted to tell them what I was thinking.

A weak thirst began to build in my throat, which meant Edward was in my headspace. I shivered when he rested his chin on my shoulder.

"Don't worry." He said coyly. "You can tell us." Alia looked at us with a goofy smile on her face. I sighed.

"I'm scared," I admitted. Alia's smile faltered.

"Of what?" She asked.

I shrugged, "This year is going to be completely different."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing." Alia pointed out.

"And even if it is," Edward said, "we'll always be in each other's corner."

"Yeah," Alia said. "A vampire, a Helsing and a psychic; besties forever!"

"Psychic?" I said, "What happened to 'angel?'"

"I thought you didn't like those monster diaries," Alia said mockingly.

"I think you're both angels," Edward said matter-of-factly. Alia giggled bringing out a chuckle from Edward and me.

"Alright," Alia said, "Three quirky angels; besties forever."

I hugged my two best friends; besties forever.

* * *

See you in the next book: _**Darkest Moon**_


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